


Little reorganization of a life

by skinnyallie



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Breathplay, Choking, Daddy Kink, Discussion of Abortion, Engagement, Established Relationship, F/M, Implied/Referenced Abortion, Light Angst, Married Sex, Moving In Together, Porn With Plot, Pregnant Sex, Restraints, Semi-Public Sex, Sexual Content, Shameless Smut, i am just horny for brightwell and i don't deserve human rights, i swear is not as bad and dirty as it looks, this whole work is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:22:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 32,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25151572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skinnyallie/pseuds/skinnyallie
Summary: Dani and Malcolm are taking another step in their relationship when the messes of their lives start to entwisting into one singular mess, with majority of her belongings at his place. Basically, they both want her to move in, but the anxiety surrounding this topic goes away only after session of lovemaking in the middle of the night.Later, it turns out they can talk important stuff only during their most intimate moments.A collection of smut scenes happening chronologically in their life.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Comments: 14
Kudos: 45





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another thing that no one asked for and doesn’t need to exist. Would you believe me that I wrote majority of this on my phone while watching first season of Criminal Minds? I have no idea what I am doing with my life but quoting myself from my tumblr bio “writing my sorrows away with Prodigal Son fanfics”.

The hour of closure to their day at work was approaching slowly, pacing at their direction equally enthusiastic as the deep purple clouds through the clear blue sky. Luckly only half of endless above was covered with daunting darkness and the rays of sunlight still could find their ways into the precinct, reflected by dozens of windows in the city. Looking up to judge what weather to expect it was just a huge gamble - equal chances that wind will cover the city with clouds or blew them long distance away. It was late afternoon of a peaceful day, filled with tons of paperwork - the less fun part of being a detective, or a consultant for that matter.

Dani’s eyes were hurting as if hundreds tiny grains of sand got under her lids. Her wrists and back were killing her, and black letters were dancing in front of her eyes each time she took her looked away from the computer screen. Her mind wasn’t working anymore and all of this was just a demeanor of productivity. Only though bouncing inside her skull was to pretend for few more minutes she’s working. Just few more minutes and she could go home, her or Malcolm’s. She didn’t really care, the only desire to not be at work.

She slowly closed all the tasks, finished or not. Standing up Dani was trying to not look too excited about the idea of leaving, in the fear that some malice force of fate would make her stay. On her way out she stopped at Malcolm’s desk. He was still deep in the reports, his mind fertile, spitting smart words out from under his fingers. With arms anxiously crosses on her chest, Dani buckled her hips against the edge of his desk, litterted with countless sheets of paper. His eyes focused on her silhouette right away. 

“Have your plans for tonight changed?” She asked softly, trying to not make the question meaningful in any way.

“Plans?”

Dani wasn’t sure if he forgot they talked about it or was just too caught up in the work to even remotely process what she has just said to him, so she patiently explained.

“You said you are going to reorganize bookshelf in your home office.”

“I can reschedule that--” Bright stater unsurely.

He was trying to feel out what answer she wanted to hear. But it truly was task he could put off in time; he already did that countless of times in the span of the last few months. He sat straight up and picked up a pen from the surface of his desk and started swinging it between his knuckles. 

“No!” Dani delivered her protest immediately. “I just wanted to ask if I can join you? Maybe help a little.”

Malcolm was taken aback, frowning in shock. He wasn’t expecting that kind of offer.

“Yes, of course.”

Her face lit up, the vision of night at his place made the weariness of mind wash away and only warmth of unconsumed physical energy was warming her insides. Moving stacks of books, where her brain didn’t have to work, could easily help her relax.

“And I’d search for my dress.” At this point half of her things were at his place. Dani was meaning to ask him if they will do anything about it, but she was too scared.

“Dress?”

“Purple one. The one I wore for dinner with Ains last weekend.” His very clueless facial expression told her she has to be more generous with the details. “The one I wore black stockings with.”

That refreshed his memory well. His mouth shaped in lovely “O” as very uneloquent sound left from there. “ _ Oh _ .”

“My sister wanted to borrow it for some gig but we couldn’t find it in my closet so I’m just guessing it has to be somewhere in your. You done for today?”

Dani jumped from one path of thoughts to another. Malcolm just nodded energetically and left his station. Sneaking his hand into Dani’s, he led them outside. The moment they started walking down the stairs, the work was leaving their brains and some sort of carefreeness started settling itself inside of them. They were walking arm in arm, their connected hands hanging between them, in a pace of people who wanted to get out of the workspace as quickly as possible, but still were tired and muscles demanded some sort of compromise.

“And we’re ordering sushi.” Dani stated out of the blue.

“You hate sushi.” That was obvious exaggeration, she just didn’t like it to a reasonable extent. She could eat it, it just wasn’t the most pleasant experience.

“But you don’t, and you haven’t ate anything. Am I wrong?”

“No.” Malcolm looked down, guilt eating him out form the inside.

“So we’re ordering raw fish with rice.”

Malcolm placed an order during the short ride to his place, it was supposed to be deliver within an hour. Dani parked her car and they headed upstairs, promise of official time off right in front of them. When they reached the door of his penthouse Malcolm quickly opened it and stepped inside, holding door open for Dani, as she followed. Chirping of a parakeet welcomed them.

Barely inside, Dani was already getting rid of her cloths. She walked into his closed, looking for something comfortable.

“So we’re cleaning today?”

She shouted into the void of cloth hangers the first half of the question, but as she turned around she found Malcolm standing next to her. He came in with similar goal - finding cloths more suiting for an evening of reorganizing his books.

“I have to get rid of few volumes, look for few other downstairs and just put them all back on the shelf in the right order.”

Malcolm explained while casually taking off each piece of his suit. When this had happened first time Dani was shamelessly drooling at him, and she had no idea what was more appealing - his body or the idea of how comfortable they grew to be around each other. Now she didn’t even bat an eye, busy searching for sweatpants in the piles of her own clothes.

All dressed up in the least sexy complet of plain t-shirt and sweatpants with knees permanently stretched out in the material, she turned around meeting with Malcolm in the middle of his walk-in closet.

“So that’s the plan for the evening.”

He placed his lips on hers in a quick kiss. “Exactly.”

Then she leaned over and stopped only when her mouth was covering his, in a kiss a little more invested than the peck from second ago.

“And for the night?” She smiled, their lips still connected but Malcolm didn’t reciprocated the enthusiasm.

“You’re staying?”

She stepped back, taking in the picture of guilty Malcolm Bright, with her hands on the hips.

“And you again don’t have any food in your fridge.” He shook his head with eyes fixed on the floor, not brave enough to meet her stare. “Never mind, we’ll worry about breakfast in the morning.”

He rose his head only when Dani left to head to his study upstairs, still bothered by the shame. She asked him multiple times to have food, and he almost never did. Disappointed with himself, Malcolm followed.

They got to work right away, carefully taking from the shelf each book and setting it on the floor. The room was filled with silence, none of them bothered to speak any nonsense. Sometimes the quiet between them was more comfortable than words, the company and body language enough as a way of communication, to signal comfort and relax - exactly the things they both needed after a workday. Not long after, the doorbell rang and Dani rushed to get their dinner. Before Bright went downstairs, Dani was already back with a paper bag containing their order.

Halfway through their meal, consumed on the floor of his office, Malcolm’s phone rang. He had hoped for some quality time with Dani, specially after she announced she’s staying for the night. Turned out fate had different plans for him and he had to go see Ainsley over breakdown of their mother. She started drinking more than usually and sometimes when one of the sibling had found her drunk they both had to keep her head above the water. That woman had too many pills in her house to just let her be.

"I'll wait. I can entertain myself." He send her doubting look, from his corner of the floor. “I promise, I’ll be fine.”

On his way out he kissed her nose and left to change back into his suit and went to once again save his mother from herself. She finished eating and then she completed the simple task of getting the books down. He had to figure out the rest himself. Then Dani started looking for her dress, and when that task was done she decided to get ready for the night, she could wait for Bright in bed. 

But as she walked from the bathroom, Malcolm walked inside. His head was hanging heavy on his shoulders, eyes without his usual shine. He sent her weak smile and announced.

“I just need to take a shower.”

Dani followed him with her gaze, until the doors closed behind him. He was worried and tired, and chances he will be haunted by nightmares were higher in that state. She felt a knot forming in her stomach, empty hope that streams of hot water will actually untie the stress from his muscles. It worked sometimes.

When he walked out of the bathroom Dani was sitting at the edge of his side of the bed, with a cellphone in her hands.

"What got so much of your attention that you're frowning?"

"I am?"

Malcolm told her she frowns when she’s thinking too intensely. At first she didn’t believe him, no one else ever told her that, but with time, when more and more often Malcolm caught her furrowing her brows, his accusations of intensive thinking were true. 

"Yes," he only laughed, sensing he was right. 

"I'm texting with a friend.” Even though she introduced Malcolm to majority of her friends at this point, she still couldn’t win with old habit of hers - not using the names. Her exes rarely were aware of who is who in her life. Dani noticed his concerned face and corrected her behavior, delivering the missing detail. “Lorna. She wanted to come by for some spontaneous late night tea. But I'm not home. Lately I usually am not home."

Something heavy was flowing in her voice, and Malcolm said apologetically.

“I never intended to keep you from your friends.”

“You never did. Babe, it was my decision to come with you tonight.”

“And then I left you for few hours alone.” A long exhale left his lungs before he continued. “I’m sorry.”

Malcolm walked over and Dani reached for him, form her place on the bed. He was expecting she’ll held him in an embrace but Dani didn’t rise up to him and just shamelessly took off the towel covering him from the waist down.

“I might have an idea how you can make it up to me.”

And with her hands on his naked hips Dani dragged him on top of herself, starting a kiss. He was surprised, not what he was expecting in a situation like this. If he was to bet, his money would go to her pushing his head between her thighs or dragging him down to the bed so she could ride him. Missionary was probably Dani’s least favourite position, that much she told him, but she never quite articulated  _ why _ .

So he let her lead, until Dani positioned them in the middle of the bed, with his whole body grinding against hers. The kiss was slow and open mouthed, with a lot of tongue involved. That he knew how to do. No matter the part of her body, Malcolm’s tongue was always quick to make her want more, so in no time Dani was breathing heavy into his mouth.

“Would you undress me, please?”

Malcolm chuckled, because while he was growing hard against her thigh, he didn’t comprehend she was still in her pyjamas. He peeled himself away from her and sat up, gently dragging Dani up by her hands to a sitting position. His hands sneaked under the hem of her shirt, which once was his shirt, and took it off, his knuckles always connected to her skin, brushing across the rib cage and then the length arms.

And there she was sitting in front of him, calm and confident, not shying away from his gaze wandering across her naked chest. Her skin was greasy with the lotion and the air was getting filled with the scent of acidy tropical fruits. He got lost in her body.

“Shorts as well.” Dani whispered through her smile.

Her hands grabbed his face and dragged them both back down. Malcolm slide her shorts down to her knees and then Dani continued the task on her own, kicking them off from her legs, and away from the bed.

He came back to kissing her, every now and then leaving her lips and moving to the jaw or cheeks or neck. They were lying on top of the covers, Dani keeping her hands steadily on the soft, vulnerable flesh between the hip bones and rib cage.

It was night in the midst of the summer, and warm breeze was thickening the air, but when Malcolm comprehend they were naked and exposed he peeled himself away and looking at Dani expressed his worry.

“You’re not cold?”

“No.” Dani answered slowly, shaking her head gently.

They again connected in the kiss, but now it was more heated due to Dani’s hunger and Malcolm got the grasp of why only after she bit his lip, that she then held between her teeth for a while. The impatience was growing, but before he could put his mind into action Dani mumbled.

“You’re gonna fuck me tonight? Or are we waiting for something?”

“Better attitude.”

However, wasting no more time Malcolm slowly entered her, both of them adjusting their positions during first few careful thrusts. Eventually Malcolm settled with his head in the crook of her neck. With passing minutes his moves became erratic and too fast. There wasn't any pattern to what he was doing, any method in his actions. Only heavy breathing into her chest.

"Slow down."

Dani demanded. Her voice wasn't harsh, very grounding rather. Malcolm has just lost himself, it happened rarely during sex but it did. His mind was so consumed by the current worries and it wasn't present here and there. And she wanted him to be in the moment with her.

He snapped from the uncertainties boiling up in his brain. Her voice dragged his attention to her eyes and it was all he needed - to see those dark irises glistening with desire, surrender by the dark void of her black curls around her head.

He started gradually decreasing his speed until Dani's affirmative gasp between the heavy breathing. Malcolm kept the new pace, sensing that's what she wanted and it earned him a praise.

"That's my good boy." He shivered with excitement, happy to serve Dani however she wishes.

Malcolm went back to her neck, kissing up from her collarbone to the thin skin under the ear. She always got shivers when he did that. A spot he liked to kiss in the middle of the day just to make her giggle; and in the middle of the night to make her whimper.

With one hand still laying on his side, with he other she grabbed his face between her thumb and the rest of the fingers. His lips squeezed open, deformed; making him look at her, keeping his face directly above hers.

"I want you to fuck me slow."

Dani rose her head to reach his ear, loosing an eye contact. There was something carnal in not looking her in the eyes and still expecting to hear her voice, not knowing where to set his expectations without stare revealing to him anything he wished for. She licked his earlobe and muttered into it.

" _ So slow _ it'll feel like the sweetest torture for both of us." She made a pause to emphasize what's to come next. "Until it  _ doesn't. _ " She added through her exaggerated gasp.

Malcolm moved in and out, teasingly slow, making sure his whole length re-entered Dani completely.

"Like that, princesses?"

His voice was hoarse, low rumble ran through her nerves making her toes curl. In response she hummed with contentment, through her signature lip-sealed smile.

Malcolm continued doing what he was told to do, knot in his stomach tightening. He wanted to make Dani feel the pleasure she was talking about. That need was more carnal than his own desire, but he knew what was hiding in her mind. Dani's choice of words made it clear she wanted both of them to enjoy the hell out of this night, not leaving him behind even though Malcolm was more than happy to oblige.

"I want to feel you." Still gasping into his ear Dani sneaked her hand on his lower back and lightly pushed down. He knew what she was doing and in no time his whole body was pressing into hers. Malcolm's skin was brushing against hers, every inch burning at the friction.

Her breaths evolved into moans, but she hasn’t lost her ability to speak and demanded form Malcolm another adjustment of their position.

"Look at me like I'm your everything."

" _ You are _ ." Malcolm stated flatly, in a breathy voice, and he leaned in to kiss her.

His answer caught her off guard; she wasn't expecting him to kiss her either, she wasn't prepared. Her lips were separated widely, letting out moans with each of his thrusts. Malcolm sealed his mouth on hers, sneaking his tongue between her teeth, right away teasing the soft flesh inside.

That was enough of control he was willing to hand over tonight. Malcolm rose slightly above her, hooking his fingers under her knee, dragging it up and pressing the thigh to his ribs.

He continued moving in and out, in the slow pace set by Dani. Her hot flesh against his side. Their moans drowning the obscenic wet sounds of their lust.

Malcolm slow in his maneuvers put more force into them. Dani tightly held in his embrace, with his hand gripping her thigh, felt her whole body moving up and down on the bed sheet, Malcolm dragging her with each of his deep thrusts.

The sensension was blissful and with every time she felt his pelvis pressings into hers, her lids were growing heavy with overwhelming need of release, until her eyes were shut completely.

"Look at me." This time it was Malcolm who commanded.

She slowly opened her eyes, their gazes locked. His reaction was immediate, he pulled her leg even further into her chest. She could feel her tendons creaking between her muscles.

Dani reached to his face, caressing jaw and cheek until her fingers entwisted into his hair. She pulled on the hair, simultaneously pushing with her fist his head down, until their foreheads met.

"I'm looking, my patient little sweetheart."

" _ Little _ ?"

That bastard thrusted into her with a force. Dani laughed at him showing his outrage, proving his point by making her moan louder. She liked to tease him sometimes, provoke him to do exactly that.

"Men's fragile ego."

"You're talking too much, darling"

"That's rich coming from you."

Dani's long fingers were ghosting above his cheeks with palms pressed against his scruffy jaw. An obvious sign she wanted him close; she wanted him to look at her and she wanted to look at him.

Malcolm bit his lower lip, huffling his groans by that. The lip was pale, almost as pale as his skin; the air he was breathing out in heavy exhales was whistling through his teeth. She loved him like that, raw and on edge (the fun kind of edge, not a psychotic breakdown). Frantic craziness in his eyes, hair all ruffled. Like a wild animal. He looked nothing like the man who was working with NYPD, always in a neat suit and unsettled gaze.

In contrary to Malcolm, she didn't keep herself quiet. As her back involuntary arched, forcing her head to shot back, her neck stretched, providing a straight path for her moans - the only way she could untie the tension that was building up in the chest.

They both were panting messes, sliding up and down on bed linen but the resolving was close. Dani's muscles tighten around him so before he made last few thrust, Malcolm leaned in, to kiss her.

The mix of her moans and his groans was drowned in the abysses of each other wide opened mouths. The ultimate wave of please rushed over them when they came simultaneously, only few seconds of a gap between Malcolm's desperately deep last thrusts and Dani's fingers scratch his back. It felt like spiritual exaltation, their bodies shaking in unison after moments of mutually delivered pleasure.

Dani felt a trait of saliva streaming down her cheek, from the corner of the mouth when the movements stopped and her separated lips were only touching to his, opened equally wide in a voiceless scream of aftershock.

It took them few quiet minutes to calm down.

"I love you so much." Her palms cupped his face and she kissed him deeply, a continuation to their lovemaking.

"Why would you do that?" He half-joked when their mouths separated.

The laughter was an immediate answers, and only a solid minute later a coherent flow of words followed.

"Because you're a good man." His grip on her leg loosened. The palm against her skin went up, until his fingers sneaked under her waist. Dani relaxed her leg with a groan. "God, I have to go back to stretching. Shit hurts like hell."

"I hurt you?" Concern appeared on his face.

"I'm _fine_ , Malcolm," Dani chuckled. His hand went to her hip, massaging the place of alleged hurt. " _It_ _was_ fine."

Clueless look reflected on his eyes, as they shot to hers. And then his mind put together the words she said, interpreting the emphasis.

"Powell, you can talk the dirtiest talk during, but after--" Malcolm huffed a laugh, "you fear the word 'sex'."

Dani smacked him in the shoulder.

"Sex was fine. Lovely. You haven't made love so sweet to me in quite a while."

" _ Fine _ ?" Malcolm picked up only the part that intrigued him. She didn't typically use adjectives like this to describe their intercourses.

She sighed and admitted quietly. "With my leg hurting a little." She said a little ashamed, avoiding his gaze, even though Dani knew Malcolm was the last to judge. "It was fine."

Dani felt a heat flourishing in her face. It only grew hotter after he spoke.

"Look at that. I got myself a little of a masochist into the bed. And she's a shy one. But talkative." He chuckled, kissing her on the corner of the lips, as his body slide to lay next to hers.

"Don't get too excited.  _ She _ still is not getting into the restrains."

"Good, because they're for things not as nice as your ass."

She turned around, laying on her belly. She looked above her shoulder at her naked back.

"I have a nice ass?"

"Oh, as if I wasn't eyeing you for the past year..."

"But I have been sleeping over here only for six months, Bright…" Dani innocently pointed that fact out to him.

"It doesn't change the fact…"

"...that I have a great ass."

"Exactly.” He kissed her, as his hand went to the discussed part of her body, and squeezed her cheek. “And had long before I found the courage to ask you out."

His eye left her and fixed on the ceiling above them. Something was eating him up. Dani pushed herself up on her elbows, twisting her head in his direction.

"What? You're still angry about 'little'?"

"I am hurt." He said theatrically, so Dani decided to play along with this joking tone.

"You are the height of your mom. I feel like I’m entitled to joke about that."

"Don't bring up my mother in our bed."

"It's  _ your _ bed. I'm only sleeping over every now and then."

He got anxious. Maybe she really was too talkative tonight.

"Talk to me, babe.” She got no reaction. “ _ Malcolm _ ."

"Nothing."

She poked his temple and that got his attention. He turned his head to the side, locking his gaze on her.

"And what’s actually happening in the head of yours?"

"I love you, Dani."

"Keep going…" She encouraged him with a smile. Declaration of love was something he typically did when stressed.

"I love how I was feel when I'm with you. The calmness.” His hands shot into the thin air as if he was trying to show her the ambience of the room. “I'd like it all around the clock. I'd love you to move in."

He was playing with that idea in his mind for few weeks now. Dani had a significant portion of her thing here. There was a collection of her rings on top of the commode in the bedroom, half of her mugs in one way or another was not sitting in his cupboard… What ultimately pushed him to ask her was the warmth inside him that erupted each time he remembered that after he’ll come back home from his drunk mother, Dani will be there.

She didn’t need time to think about it. It was drilling holes inside her head for some time as well.

"Good thing I already have half of the drawer in your place to myself.” He didn’t need any other confirmation. “I love you too."

He turned to his side, relaxing into the soft bed. His fingertips were following the curvature of her spine. Dani grabbed the nearest pillow and brought it under her face, lying comfortably. Malcolm continued tracing patterns on her skin until he realised her breathing was deep and regular. She fell asleep.

Malcolm reached for a duvet and covered Dani's naked body. He had so much to do but he couldn't force himself to leave her side. He was confident he won't sleep tonight, but with passing time his eyes lost focus and Bright's consciousness flew into the dreamless void of the night, where two lovers could be truly happy in their new shared space, not held to any demands of others.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one here is an outcome of a conversation with [Ryan](https://bibright.tumblr.com/), as we decided Malcolm would totally propose during sex, because he’s unable to have very important conversations without sex being some part of it. Not surprisingly, the steamiest parts of this one I was typing on my phone with second season of Criminal Minds in the background. But honestly tho? Why is anyone reading this bullshit? Or are you just pornbots from tumblr?

Living with Malcolm Bright turned out to be easier, and more pleasant, than Dani had expected. He was always ready for compromises, but still managed to sustains his rigid posture. He just knew what he wanted, and when he didn’t know - he was ready to reconsider Dani’s way of doing things. The most prominent example was, in Dani’s way of living there was food in the kitchen - yoghurts in the fridge, snacks hidden in the cupboards and a bowl of fruits in the middle the kitchen island. Malcolm’s family was surprised at this fact every time they visited, even after almost a year of them living together.

But one thing that Dani didn’t win at was how they shared a bed - which side is whose. At the beginning of their relationship, when she was only visiting him, they rarely made it to the bed. With time it all aligned in her brain that it wasn’t necessarily about their needy lust but about Malcolm's nightmares. The bed was the source of fear and he hadn’t wanted to bring her there.

She assimilated herself into his bed gradually; first time she slept over happened after they had sex in the bed from start to finish. That night Malcolm didn’t sleep at all. He was looking in his mind for a solution but it all turned out to be way simpler - his nightmares just weren’t as intense with Dani at his side. Presence of his lover, her warm body near him, her cool hands wrapped around his forearm as she was sleeping on her side, was enough to sustain the relative calmness in his sleep.

The only battle she didn’t win was settling herself on the side near door. Before she moved in it was a lottery, who ended up where with Malcolm not always spending the nights in the bed in general. But after his place became their place, the subtle battle of asserting the dominance started. Dani would get to bed first and take the spot she wanted for herself; Malcolm would just move her over to the other side after she fell asleep. In conclusion - she lost but denied to acknowledge that and alway said she just let him win.

So it was very surprising when she found him sitting on her side, near the window. They were slowly getting ready for the night to fall. Dani just got out form the shower and Malcolm already clean and soap-scented was sitting in the bed, with the book in his hands, with back against the headboard.

Dani slowly made her way to the bed, cautiously not taking her eyes form him, as Malcolm continued to read. She reached the end of the bed, not approaching him any closer and that’s when he set the book aside, placing it on top of her nightstand, next to other items Dani always kept there - lip balm, phone charger and water bottle. Their gazes locked.

"Sir, I believe that seat's taken."

Despite serious tone, weak smile crept onto her lips. Dani tried to keep her face straight but with eyes like Malcolm’s, staring back at her, she never managed to achieve it once.

A moment of silence later Malcolm spoke, inviding Dani to the bed.

"Come here."

With enthusiasm she walked around the bed and reached his side. Dani climbed on top of him, straddling his thighs. She quickly settled herself, maintaining distance between their chests so they both could have a good view at each other’s faces. The moment Dani threw her leg to his other side, Malcolm’s hands landed on her bare thighs, holding her so she wouldn’t sit too far away. After she was seated comfortably, his hands keeping her steadily, her own went to his arms and up, to his shoulders. Then she took them off of him and set her hands numbly between them.

"For a moment there I thought you'll say 'come to daddy'." Dani again failed to kept her face straight, and the second half of the sentence came out of her grinning mouth.

"I would  _ never _ ." He teased and leaned in for a quick kiss.

She squinted her eyes in an expression equally sarcastically admitting that he indeed _ would never _ .

"Of course, pretty boy…"

While he was focused on her eyes, telling him how much she agrees with him, her hands sneaked under the hem of his shirt. It was a challenge to her for the action to not be noticed too quickly, as Malcolm wore very fitting shirt to bed, in contrary to Dani way too big t-shirts that she treated as a nightgowns, with nothing underneath them. She managed to barely brushed her fingertips against his abdomen. Soft folds of skin she teased told her how relaxes he was, not a single muscle in his body tensed. Until the moment of her chill skin being acknowledged by his system.

A shiver shot through his whole body, as if someone walked over his grave. Goosebumps spread all over his skin.

"Cold hands," he explained.

To tease him further, in one swift motion Dani took of his shirt, and placed her palms flatly on his pecs. Whistling breath of shock entered his lungs. All this happened before Malcolm had a chance of comprehending what was going on.

"Have you invited me here for any particular reason?” Dani slid on his thighs, pressing her pelvis against his. “Or just to whine?"

"Promise of a good fun?"

Malcolm asked as his hands simultaneously went up to her groins, brushing her softest spots. Dani giggled, trying to mask up the gasp roaring in her chest.

"Hands were I can see them, sir."

Following an order, with a genuine smile he rose his hand to the sides of his head. Maintaining eye contact Malcolm dearlingly took one hand from the Dani’s sight and slowly sneaked under her shirt, right away getting to her breasts. This time she gasped, when Malcolm’s thumb brushed against her nipple and then grabbed her breast in his warm hand.

She leaned into his touch, almost no space between them left. Dani rolled her hips in a growing need of a friction.

"We're getting straight to fun?"

"Mm-hmm." 

Malcolm leaned to kiss her, hand leaving her chest and going further up to the neck whole, fingers dwelling on the hollow at the base of the neck, where he could feel in his fingertips her increasing pulse.

Being with him like this was enough for Dani to lose her racional mind a little. To be close with Malcolm was always the thing that drove her a little crazy, even in a pose as still as this. And usually he had more patience, now not being an exception. 

“Let's get this out of the way."

Dani grabbed hem of her shirt and undressed herself, throwing the only garment she wore to the corner of the room. To keep her steady while Dani fought with shirt way too big, his hands once again ended on her thighs. Malcolm amazed by what was happening was just gazing and when his eyes finally locked with hers, simply said.

"You’re right, that actually is better."

This time her smile was barely noticeable, game changed a little. Dani looking deep into his eyes saw as their blue crystallized in anticipation. She was stark naked, wanting more. She took between her hand one of his and started guiding it up, breathing heavily. Malcolm had no courage to interrupt and obediently gave in to her instructions. People would suspect his hands were soft, that this man never tasted a real work but truth was completely different. Years spend with pencil between his knuckles during studying and then during gun training in the FBI made his skin thick in certain areas, and now they were scratching against Dani’s.

Her head shot back as she was slowly moving his hot palm against her abdomen, chest, shoulders and neck. Her grip loosened and Bright knew perfectly she expected a little involvement from him. So he digged his fingertips in the soft flesh of the belly, closed his fingers around her neck and pushed the whole palm harder against her breast.

All this, while Dani was regularly pushing her hips into him. Malcolm wanted to help her sustain the pace and the other hand went from thigh to the hip and then slowly made its way to her waist, as his pants were getting tighter and tighter.

And she still hasn’t let him kiss her. Her head was sitting proudly on top of straight back and neck, high above where he could reach her lips with his. And then whenever he tried to place his mouth the skin of her exposed chest she cover that place with his own hand.

Dani sensed his patience started growing into frustration and leaned down for a kiss. She placed her mouth open on his, pushing her tongue between his lips, before Malcolm could have a chance to do the same thing first. It lasted only few seconds and Bright didn’t even had a chance to start battling for dominance in a kiss, when Dani rose on her knees, rising even higher than before.

She made a space between their bodies so Malcolm could move his hips and slid down his pants, down to the knees. Getting lower Dani slowly took in his whole length, and when her legs relaxed because she no longer had to keep her weight on them, they exhaled simultaneously.

Her hips started rolling against his. At first slow, and then increasing the tempo until she found the right one. Satisfied, Dani pressed her chest into his, arms on his shoulder with hands on the nape of his neck. Her breathy gasps floating just above his ear. Malcolm, in desire of keeping her as close as possible, kept his palms flat on her lower back, pushing her in in a steady rhythm of her movements.

Dani was slowly driving herself crazy. Tonight they were quiet, their breaths weren’t colored with moans and groans. To the accompaniment of their gasps and heavy exhales her muscles were tensing up in spasms when she thought she’s close. But then they all relaxed during another thrust. Malcolm tried to race her, shivering in anticipation. He was ready to do anything for that women, but what was happening now wasn’t any kind of sacrifice. Malcolm liked it like that, slowly following her each direction, because her compassion didn’t let her leave him behind in a situation like this, demanding a pleasure for them both.

She was pushing him against the bed's headboard, with the force of her hips. Desperation growing inside her, tying knots in her chest and belly. Malcolm could sense them just by hearing her sharp breathing. He looked up, pushing her harder against his body.

"Marry me."

She looked down, for a moment there searching for the sanity in his eyes. Her facial expression very clearly said " _ Really? Now? _ ". He wasn't the one for roleplay so this had to come from a genuine place. But now wasn’t the time to have this conversation so Dani decided to ignore it. There was too much to unfold it all  _ right now _ .

"Kiss me well, pretty boy. Then I'll answer."

Turning heavy topics in some kind of tease or joke was their thing. Dani hunched down, waiting for his lip. They met hers, demanding obedience. It was her in control of their bodies but Malcolm led the kiss. He slowly spread her lips, force to make her jaw open equal to the force he was pushing in, pressing his mouth against hers. When Dani felt a flow of his hot breath, brushing on her palate, she ended the kiss and with fingers still in his hair, directed him to her neck.

"Come on, baby boy. Make me cum."

Dani kept the pace and pressing her face into his hair she could smell the product on his hair. Malcolm knew he could do close to nothing to carry out her order, as Dani was the one in charge. He hummed in frustration he can’t deliver and did whatever he could - his lips started sucking on her pulse, to the point of a stinging pain in the place where the mark will bloom; his fingers on her lower back digged between the ribs. That was enough. She came with lips pressed against his head, kissing the forehead. And the sound she made at that moment brought Malcolm the pleasure Dani wanted.

She slightly shifted in her position, now driven by comfort and not pleasure. Dani melted into his embrace, still not looking at his face, deliberately avoiding confrontation. After she came her thoughts started to reorganise. He proposed. During sex. Anxious knot twisted around her stomach. She felt blood leaving her face, numb feeling on her cheeks. She dared to dream that one day he would asks her, but in her mind it was always just a very wild dream.

He spotted her discomfort and held her tighter against his chest, kissing on her shoulder. Her arms wrapped around his neck tensed.

"You want me to become Mrs Bright?"

Question was quiet, but just addressing the thing was enough to make her want to face it, face  _ him _ . Hands on his shoulders, Dani leaned back, to take a good look at him. They were like wild animals, eyeing each other. His hand went to her neck, his knuckles brushing against her skin. Dani leaned into his soft touch, twisting her head.

"I love you." Really, he couldn’t came up with anything better to say.

"That much I know." Dani chuckled, releasing a little bit of pressure sitting on their chests.

"The life you help me sustain-- with healthy sleeping patterns and regularly consumed food.” His smiled but next cloud of thoughts rained his face with worry. “Where I'm not a threat to myself. I want to keep you in my life, if you let me."

Silence prevield. He didn’t dare to repeat himself. It was stupid enough the first time. He looked away.

"I know I'm asking a lot--” He was looking like he was chewing some words but eventually gave up. “I shouldn't. Sorry."

Dani’s eyes stayed on his face, studying it. She worked up the courage to speak, comforted by his soft features.

"No." His eyes grew bigger, a thin layer of tears shining over this striking blue irises. She saw his heart breaking, before she had a chance to further explain herself. "You're not asking a lot, and don't be sorry. You're a kind hearted person.” Dani cupped his face between her hands, forcing him to look at her. “Smart and loyal. Ready for sacrifices-- sometimes too ready."

"But you're still not gonna marry me. Understandably.” Malcolm already worked up a false courage and looked at her, covering the hurt with cheery voice. “My dad's a serial killer, my mom's a drunk, my sister's a dangerous overachiever and I'm a freak."

" _ Malcolm _ .” That boy was so stupid. “I will marry you.” Say a thing and he’ll always twist it for his own disadvantage. “One day."

He knew she was only making him feel better. She was stalling, postponing the ultimate rejection. Life now was fun, but in a long shot - nothing desirable in being his partner. Of all people she knew it the best, she was his partner for long enough to learn it herself.

"One day." He echoed the ephemeral date, gaze fixed somewhere behind her.

Dani knew where his mind was. It was dark place and the sooner she’ll get him out of there, the better.

"I'm thinking-- autumn?” His eyes shot to her, shocked. “What?” Dani laughed at his face, eyes round like a penny, with mouth opened. “I am marrying you. And- you proposed during  _ sex _ . How a girl can resist?"

"I love you."

Of course declaration of love was the first thing he said. Light came back to him. The race of thought in his brain reflected in the unfocused stare wandering on her face.

"Where's the rings?"

Malcolm snapped, caught like a deer in the headlights. Dani knew him a bit too well to not know he had to reconsider the proposal many time. How many of their dates almost ended with him getting down on one knee? Now, that she realised he was planning to propose every night together form the past two months suddenly had much more sense…

His hands grabbed her on her hips and before Dani had a time to process, she was seating in another spot, Malcolm digging threw his drawer. She moved on the edge of the bed, swinging her legs to the ground.

Malcolm reappeared in front of her, with a small black box. Her curious haze followed him as he kneeled, delicately took her hand between his and slipped a ring on her finger. Of course it fitted perfectly, it wasn’t difficult to find the right size when dozens of her rings were all over their place.

"Now…” Dani extracted her hand from his grip and took a moment to examine the small shiny rocks on her finger. “Put your mouth were your money is."

And she slowly slipped ringed finger between his lips. He wasn’t surprised, but kept his mouth barely opened to drag his teeth down her knuckles, as she pushed in. Malcolm played with the finger, pushing his tongue against it, sucking it; proving its abilities. Her was nail provoking his gag reflex.

"God, I can't believe you proposed  _ during sex _ ." His face told her the thoughts were boiling in his head, and he was ready to speak his mind immediately. " _ Aa-aaa _ . Keep your mouth working, not taking."

She slipped her finger out, dragging it down his chin, leaving a wet trail, the rest of the fingers digging its nails into the thin skin of his neck. Next thing, her hand again ended pushing his head where she wanted it. And he obeyed, kissing her, licking and sucking until Dani's legs were shaking with his hair tangled around her fingers, with a new ring on one of them.


	3. Chapter 3

She was standing in the corner, brooding and staring at the crowd she stuck in. Dani learned that from him. And as much as Malcolm would like to believe it was the case of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, he knew that was just the sign she was bored. The entertainment he usually provided with his nonsensical profiles was gone with him, sent away to get them something to drink. So now, when he wasn’t at her side, she was profiling on her own, or rather judging. Dani still hasn’t warmed up to the entourage of his mother’s world.

Room was full of people who thought of themselves as better than everyone else. Each individual perceived themself as superior to the one they were talking to, and when two people think they’re better than the other one you’re both fools. Ainsley showed her that. Young Whitly had a tendency to insert herself into random conversation, only to cause disagreements. Dani at first believed Jessica brought herself up two little social devils, but with time she learned Jess was equally ready to inflare social chaos. Society did her dirty, so she was using every opportunity to pay them back.

Constant battle of proving one’s superiority was the initial impression, but few years of living in this exact position, as an observer, Dani learned it actually wasn’t the reality. There were people who didn’t fall into that category, but it was really hard to hear them. The bell rings the loudest since it’s empty, and to fish out those who actually had something smart to add to any kind of conversation was a dull and time-consuming activity. Although, the only one Dani could participate in, if she had energy. So definitely not tonight.

Malcolm promised his mother they’ll be there, but after a day worth of police work all Dani could force herself to was a quick shower. Earlier that day, she was called in to the precinct and made it out only because Jessica called Gil, forcing him to let her go. There was a social event Mrs Whitly wanted Dani to attend at the side of her son! Dani wasn’t sure how she felt with family life interfering with her career so decided to just not thinking about it for now, to avoid useless guilt.

The residues of vital energy let her only do some touch-ups to the makeup on the skin of her tired face, ditching the idea of lipstick and dark eyeshadows. She even completely gave up all hope for her heavy curls to look decent, and left them partially tangled and flat at the roots.

Her legs were so swollen from a week of chasing paperwork around the police station, she couldn’t force herself to wear heels. So there she was, standing in flat shoes, for once shorter than her husband. And she never easily gave up the opportunity that a pair of cute stilettos provided. It was always fun to taunt him with fact she’s taller, until he sucked on her neck just at just the right angle. Another reason why she loved high heels…

Dani just put on her burgundy dress and demanded them to leave immediately, before any second-guessing about her appearance coming from tiredness would set in. This evening was a chance for Dani to leave the investigative mind at her desk. Here all she had to do was to just look pretty in a dress that hugged her waist almost as tightly as Malcolm when they walked in here, and feel good about herself.

The subjects of each ongoing around her conversation were foreign to her. Dani knew nothing about real-estate or investments in gold. Parties like this were only for her to be an eye candy; to sweetly hang on the arm of her husband. However, said husband was as clueless as she. The main purpose of their presence usually was so Jessica could show them off and gain trust of someone she needed for business purposes. She wasn't especially fond of this tactic, but social games were unforgivable and sometimes she had to bring in her son and daughter-in-law since woman with a family was worth the trust in the eyes of men.

Besides, it didn’t hurt Dani and Malcolm to every once in a while put on pretty outfits and waste their Saturday in the some New York’s elite club, where air was too stuffy, filled with desire for money more than with desire for body. For her every one of those places looked exactly the same, just like that party she crashed with Bright during their first case. First few times Malcolm brough her to the events like this the anxious knot in her belly took her breath away for few seconds-- a memory of the night when Malcolm almost let the bad guy to kill him was coming to the surface. Who would have though few years later she would be married to that absolute madman…

The crowd was almost always the same. Dani even started to recognise few faces; and in the span of the last couple of years those faces were staring to recognise her. Being an outsider allowed Dani be to impudent without any consequences. She was merely a wife of a son of someone actually important. Social embargo could do her nothing and Jessica already had been battling it for the past two decades. So not single person was held accountable for Dani’s disrespecting behaviour, if such occurred.

Sometimes, Dani wondered if that’s how Martin had felt when he was attending parties like this with Jessica… Ainsley had to keep her mouth shut because half of people here could do things to her career and she really would like to not jeopardize that with few words too mean said to a face too old and entitled. But Dani wasn’t working for them, just like Dr Whitly. Allegedly, Martin Whitly was very charming, and since he was incredibly intelligent and a sociopath, she had no difficulty believing in that. Seeing her father-in-law in action with few of those morons would be an entertainment even greater than Malcolm's profiling.

Dani’s eyes were scanning the crowd through thick air filled with heavy fog of cigars smoked in the corners by the wealthiest. The more tired she was, the higher were chances that she would intentionally, or not, offend someone, so Malcolm should be really vigilant on evenings like this. And yet, he was still nowhere to be seen after she sent him away to bring them something to drink.

Eventually she did spot Malcolm. He was busied with politely getting rid of some guy trying to engage him into the conversation that was taking place in the circle of men in similar age. Dani hoped her piercing gaze burning on his skin would be enough for him to sense her growing impatience. Distance between them loosely scattered with people gave her great opportunity to eye him up. Malcolm Bright looked as good as any other day, now in a dark grey suit hugging his humble frame. 

Malcolm was standing with his side to her, stare running away from his interlocutor as he was searching for Dani. In boredom she moved away from the point where he departed from his wife. The vivid desperation in him to leave the group of gentlemen made her break a laugh. It had to be some sort of charm, since in that exact moment he rose his head and placed his eyes exactly on the spot where Dani was standing, waiting for his company to be back at her side. In that moment Bright gave up on giving any excuses and just left the group, summoned by his wife’s stare.

Malcolm slowly cut through the crowd, doing his best to not spill even a drop from the glasses, kept on the leash of Dani’s desperate gaze. As he was approaching her closer and closer, Dani’s smile was getting more and more sincere. It wasn’t big but her eyes were shining brighter with each of his steps that were getting him closer to her. When Malcolm finally found himself in front of her he wordlessly handed Dani the glass with water, the ice cubes chimed against the walls. With one of his hands emptied, Malcolm circled her, delicately brushing against her back.

“Thanks.” Dani said in an exhale, turning her head to the side to follow Malcolm until he disappeared behind her, no longer in the sight of her dark eyes with heavy lids and curled lashes.

Company of his favourite person breathed into Malcolm some fresh calmness. She was thirsty but moment when she sensed Malcolm loosened up brought her greater relief than a gulp of cold water going down her throat. Now they could come back to their judging, both relaxed with non alcoholic drinks in their hands.

Dani wasn’t drinking at all - the fallout of being addicted to one thing and increased vulnerability to anything else. And Malcolm was forbade by Dani for any alcohol to meet his lips - they had enough problems due to his pills, and Dani at least sometimes wanted to be able to get him in the right shape in the bed.

They were standing in a silence typical for them, comfortable and warm, when he leaned over her shoulder and whispered into the ear. "You have no business looking this cute here."

Completely surprised by that, Dani spit on her chin mid-sip, taken over by laughter. His pick-up lines were always terrible.

"How did it happen that I married you?" She quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, wide smile on her face.

"Almost a year ago."

He was so proud of that fact. And rightfully so, they had their anniversary in a month.

"And what a wonderful year that's been."

" _ You're _ wonderful."

Dani slightly twisted her head into his direction, furrowing her brows. She caught with the corner of her eye Malcolm in a very good mood. She could only shake her head.

"Goodness, you're so mushy."

She wanted to chide him. Strange grimace of disbelief and amusement broke onto her face, but only for a second, just so Malcolm could see it before her face disappeared from his line of sight. Words of false disgust floated in the air between them as Dani turned her head to again look straight ahead. 

"I'm in love." She smiled understandingly at his explanation.

"That doesn't justify--" Breath hitched in her throat.

Suddenly his free hand slipped under her dress. Dani felt graze of fingertips brushing against back of her leg, until it stopped on the horizontal dimple between her ass and thigh. "And you're horny." Dani added flatly.

He placed his hand platly on her leg. Warm palm lying against the skin of her upper thigh, fingers curled to the inside, between her legs. There was something possessive in that. It was probably the first interesting thing that happened tonight.

"I. Am. In. Love." He whispered directly into her ear, separating each word. Everything was emphasized. Everything was important. And at the end he kissed the sweet spot under her ear.

Dani tried to fight automatic reaction she had to the touch of his lips there. Instead she only made her situation worse. As she won and her neck didn’t seized to her shoulder, hiding the spot, she shivered and stretched her neck out so Malcolm had a chance to repeat his doing. She could feel his grin during the second kiss, when his tighten by smile lips brushed against her skin. Dani managed to contain herself and regained her bored expression back on her face. But when she spoke her voice was delighted.

"You're clingy horny little man, that's what you are."

"Is that the final profile on me, detective?"

Malcolm chuckled, and it made Dani realise how close is face actually was to hers. She let a smile on her face and simuniastely to that Bright’s hand rubbed her leg. Her chest rose up with a shaky breath, too deep and controlled to be natural.

"Uh-huh. The very official one that your pals from FBI have."

He moved closer, brushing his side against her back, while his hand went higher, brushing the spots that shouldn’t be touched in public. That was the point when Dani lost belief she would be able to keep herself presentable for any longer. She gave up on the game and asked honestly curious about the answer.

"Isn’t your mother looking?"

"She's in the other room."

Now, that made a lot of sense. Dani laughed, now accustomed to feel of his hand on her naked skin.

" _ That's _ why you're so bold to shove your hand under your wife's dress." She nodded to herself, when the puzzle solved itself.

"You're having a great time, though."

"Any given part of you between my thighs is better fun than-- anything else, really." She tried to play bored, but what was happening was pretty exciting. They’ve been married for almost a year and still somehow they haven't grown bored of each other’s bodies.

Malcolm managed to get even closer; his lips brushing her ear, his hot breath danced down her neck.

"I could take you right now, there- on that table.” He nodded in the direction of the nearest table. “In front of all those people." With movement of his head, Malcolm pointed at the crowd with his nose.

“Stop it.” Dani hissed, twisting her head to the side, so Malcolm could see her profile.

She wasn’t very convincing but she didn’t have to be. She said no, so Malcolm right away stepped few inches back, disconnecting his hand from her bare leg. Then Dani turned around to face him, fingers of both hands wrapped around her glass glistening with condensed water.

“I would choke you, but you for sure would enjoy it." Smug look on his face blossomed right away, like a three year old who just earned himself a gold star. But Dani had one more thing to say. "And even if you  _ could _ take me, you wouldn’t - you don't like an audience, you prefer to watch.”

In a sign of agreement Malcolm only chuckled, breaking the eye contact. Dani was absolutely right in everything she just said, and very proud of herself she again turned back to him, hem of the dress swirled around her knees.

The moment her back were leaning against Malcolm, and their stares continued combing through the crowd Dani jumped surprised. They were so consumed by their own playful conversation, both didn’t notice Ainsley, until she was standing right in front of them, her fingers locked around the leg of half-emptied champagne flute with strawberries laying on the bottom.

"What are you whispering about, lovebirds?"

"Nothing." Dani barked out.

The last words she said to Malcolm were now burning on her cheeks. But he was calm, not shying away from the dirtiest of conversations even in front of his sister.

"Wild sex on the table right there.” He pointed at the same table as moments before, when he was showing the spot to Dani.

"Bright!"

She wanted to turned around and smack him. But in an outrage Dani only twisted her head, whipping his face with the strands of her curls and send him piercing glance. He winked in response, which was quite an achievement as he really wasn't good at that. It made something inside her spill the warmth in her stomach.

"It's okay, Dani.” Ainsley calmed her, completely collected at Malcolm’s impertinence. “He's trying to gross me out so I'll leave you with his hand under your dress.” At that both Brights were caught off guard. “Yes, I did notice.” Shakinking his head Ainsley stepped away. “Whatever, just don't actually do it in front of everyone. Go someplace private."

Dani blushed, but her with her skintone deepened by their recent holiday in the part of the world sunnier than New York, he couldn't exactly see that. But he felt the heat, his head hanging right above her shoulder. If not right away, then he definitely felt the wave of heat when he leaned in to whisper into Dani ear.

"She’s right. We can go, find some empty bathroom, just for ourselves."

“I never before sneaked out from the social gathering just to have sex."

"That's not true." She could hear his devious smile.

"Huh?" Dani frowned, genuinely confused what and where Malcolm was referring to.

"Your bachelorette party."

His explanation was simple, almost as if he was disappointed Dani didn't recall it right away. She never learned how Malcolm found himself in the club where Ainsley took Dani to celebrate the last week of freedom, as she described it.

"Oh, yeah… That one.” The fond memory thawed and set in the brain, but Dani remembered that evening slightly differently. “It was only few kisses."

"With me under your skirt." He said, moving from her back to her side.

Malcolm’s arm wrapped around her lower back gripping her waist, with the glass in the other hand. After delicate push she realised that he actually was planning to search for some place, just for the two of them. Dani felt heat blooming onto her cheeks and neck as her lips sealed in a tight smile. Excitement rushed through her belly, twisting her guts. He forced her to take the first step but every next one felt like flying, high on the thrill.

They walked in a slow pace, avoiding groups of people loosely scattered across the room. Their path wasn’t straight and at one point Dani lost sense of direction, not sure where they came from. She had no idea where they were heading but suspected that Malcolm knew, reading his confident body language in a steady steps, firm grip on her waist and straight back. He was in this place before and maybe once wandered off from the event, far enough to discover a place that could serve the purpose he was driven by in this moment.

Dani’s anticipation grew hotter. She knew Malcolm was capable of something like this, they both were. A little bit of adventure was always amusing for them, and to sneak out from social gathering just to have sex was definitely falling into category “adventure”.

"I would never suspect a guy in his mid thirties to be up to such naughty things." Dani spoke only when she was absolutely sure that Malcolm was indeed walking them to very specific, very private spot and not to insert them into conversation with Jessica.

"My wife’s younger,” Malcolm stated. In a social circle like this that fact was brought up few times, but for Dani is was one of the most irrelevant things, so she had tendency to just forget that their small age gap was on the lips of others. “She keeps my soul bright."

"She seems like a great girl." She played with the tone of her voice, wishing she sounded interested in that wife of his.

"Oh, she is…"

His answer came from closer than she expected. Malcolm leaned into Dani, pushing them aside from the route between people, into the dark corridor she didn’t even notice. Despite that they finally disappeared from the lines of stares, he didn’t fasten their pace, still taking steady steps, his hand on Dani’s back keeping her at his side.

The dim light coming from sconces on the wall was eaten up by dark wooden paneling, but in its weakness Dani made out shape of two doors in the wall to her right. They passed by the first door. During those few seconds before Malcolm steered her farther into the hall to the next door it set in Dani’s mind those had to be more private restrooms, to maybe avoid long lines in the main bathroom. But she was sure the actual purpose they served was closer to what they were doing right now. To have quick sex or snort coke. 

Malcolm loosen the grip on her waist and his arm fell from her back. Dani could feel every inch of her exposed skin radiating with heat of anticipation. Malcolm kept her in front of him and before his hand reached to the doorknob he looked down the corridor, scanning the thin slither of light at the end - the narrow view of actual gig. No one was interested in what was happening in the that dark alley.

His hand twisted on the knob, opening the door and pushing it to the inside. Sensor inside was triggered by the motion and white light crept from the inside. Dani confidently stepped inside, all the time feeling the closeness of Malcolm’s body behind her.

The bathroom was small. Single cabin with toilet inside, huge mirror taking over quarter of the wall in front of it and marble counter at its base, with sink melted into it. Everything was happening swiftly, like in slow motion - time submerged in the thick honey of anticipation.

Dani casually walked over to the sink to set her half emptied glass on the marble. But before she had a chance to turn around and face Malcolm with her hands emptied, his whole body was pressed against her back with his arm locked around her lower abdomen and wild stare looking from above her shoulder in the reflection. To not lose her balance at sudden force on her silhouette, she placed her palms flat on the cold marble.

The fact he immediately went to action surprised her. Dani huffed a laugh, wave of soundless air escaped from her lips stretched in a smile. Malcolm casually swinged his glass across the marble, until it landed next to Dani’s, glass walls clinking against each other. His hand went to her side and slowly down to her thigh, then up sneaking under her dress.

Dani focused her gaze on Malcolm’s reflection in the mirror in front of them.

“Do we have a plan?”

“I was hoping we could watch some good show tonight.” His lips moved closer to her ear, brushing against it. After that his stare was drilling deep into her eyes, their reflections freezed in a spell.

That was a clue as what to expect for the upcoming next few minutes. Change in their position was very unlikely to happen, and Dani grew in confidence with that statement. His hand started rubbing her skin, slowly drifting away from her hip to her groin. Tickling sensation of his skin ghosting above hers made her shiver.

Malcolm’s fingers started slowly playing with the elastic stretched across her groin, fingertips sneaking under it. She was patient and the experience of waiting was pleasant in itself. The anticipation. His fingers grazed over her thin skin few more times before his lips landed back on her neck, after she inhaled slowly, breath trembling her chest. For him it was a signal, he could move on.

The first kiss was high, right under the ear and slowly went down - hand on her leg mimicking the lowering tendency. Dani look down, to follow with her gaze movement of Malcolm’s hand. She took one of her hands from the counter to catch his and place it where she wished, but before she had a chance to do so, he broke the contact between their skins and hid his hand behind his back, pushing his chin into the crook of her, above her collarbone, looking directly at her reflection.

“Just ask.”

The volume of his voice was surprisingly normal. Her eyes went up, to met his awaiting stare in the mirror. Sly smile plastered itself on her face and she answered in a husky voice.

“Oh, come on, daddy.”

With that line she caught him off guard. It wasn’t exactly what he had in mind but with Dani things just were like this - even if he was the one with demands, she had to have the upper hand and throw him off balance. Malcolm dragged his chin back to her shoulder and tilting his head back said into her ear.

“ _ Ask _ .”

It was clear as day he wasn’t going to give up. Dani relaxed a little, and when muscles in her neck loosened she twisted her head back and to the side, until it was laying on top of his. All this time eyes haven’t left the spot of the reflection of his blue irises.

“Could you please put your hand back?” She was polite, knowing that attitude wouldn’t win her anything.

Shadow of animalistic smile danced on his lips, before they took advantage of Dani’s stretched neck and sucked on the skin there. Dani’s focus on the reflection changed its place, shifting to the movement of his hand. It came back from behind his back and slowly crept back under the hem of her dress. That hand started its trail from the apex of her knee and when further up, material folding up on Malcolm’s wrist.

The other arm slipped lower from her abdomen, hand grabbed onto the inner thigh of her other leg. Not getting under the dress, Malcolm grabbed her right above the knee, spreading her legs a little. She was so focused on his slow strokes against her skin, Malcolm managed to swiftly manhandle her with the other hand without her even noticing.

Gasp of surprise was followed by a frantic smile. Dani swayed and pushed her weight onto her arms pushing harder against the marble, again founding her balance. Malcolm’s grip tighten around the bones of the joint of her knee. This small adjustment let Malcolm have her placed in the desired position. The small gap between her thighs was enough for his upcoming strategy.

The graze of his fingertips burned the trail on her skin, where goosebumps followed. From the back of her knee, up through the side of the thigh to the tip of her hip bone. And then down, the path of his touch twisted further to the inside of her leg but going lower. Around the point mirroring where his hand was gripping on her other leg his hand laid flat.

Staying on the inside part of her thigh, Malcolm’s palm went up in a straight line, until the side of his index finger brushed against the lace of her panties. Breath hitched in Dani’s throat. She lost the need to keep her eye on their reflection and hanged her head down.

Malcolm however stayed focused, paying attention to the changing details on her face as he moved his hand against the layer of material that was covering Dani’s pulsing desire. She felt a rush of blood between her legs, leaving her head in dizziness. His hand left the place where he could continue to tease her and sneaked further on her abdomen. With fingers hooked under the elastic he dragged her panties down and right when the crumpled ball of laced material hit the floor, Malcolm brought Dani back to previously established position.

Anticipation drove her body to make alteration. Leaning further forward her hips pushed firmly into Malcolm as his hand came back under her dress, right to her belly were the tightening knot was twisting her intestines. Dani felt his palm placed against her tensed muscles as his fingers went down until he reached her clit. The skin-to-skin sensation, not muted by the fabric extracted gasp from Dani’s lungs. His fingers reached further, until her wetness was spread on every fold of skin, to avoid any painful friction he could cause with his mistartions.

The circles he was making with his fingers pressed into Dani were slow and generous. After initial shock she accustomed to the blissful sensation, altering her breath to match the rhythm in which Malcolm’s fingers were working against her wetness. There was no will in him to fasten the pace in which he was working his way to her pleasure. Shortly, the frustration took over Dani. She wanted more. She  _ needed _ more.

Malcolm wasn’t searching for specific spot, and was just meticulously moving his wrist which his fingers following the circular motions. Dani’s legs were slowly giving in, wave of warmth flushed through her muscles, every time he rubbed against the burning spot. She pushed weight of her whole upper body harder onto her arm, with the other one reaching behind her to grab back of Malcolm’s head.

"Don't do that, princess.” In emphasis he grabbed harder her leg, moving higher and digging his fingers into the soft flesh of her thigh, spreading that leg further away. “You gonna ruffle my hair and we still have event to go back to."

She took her arm and placed it back on the counter, grabbing at the edge. Her head however stayed tilted back, supported by his shoulder. Her stare locked with the reflection of his blue eyes.

“Sorry, daddy.”

Dani desperately hoped that would provoke him to go faster but that didn’t happen. In response Malcolm kissed her shoulder, where the dress slid off, and made a circular motion against her swollen clit of even bigger diameter. Her provocation backfired with another heat wave of frustration in her belly.

That change in the pattern of his motions provoked a moan from between Dani’s heavy breathing. She felt air huffed into her skin - Malcolm’s laugh. Encouraged by her weak self-control, Malcolm fasten the pace in which he was rubbing her clit, hoping for another vocalization of her pleasure.

As a remedy Dani reached for his hand from her thigh, and gripping it tightly she dragged it to her mouth. She felt his cold wedding ring against her lip.

“My creative baby girl.”

Malcolm praised in her ear and adjusted the grip on Dani’s mouth so he wouldn’t block her airway to the nose, and so he could easily manipulate position of her head. She wasn’t surprised when he right away forced her to look right in front of her, into the mirror, where his stare was already waiting for her black eyes.

Malcolm always had her back, figuratively and literally. Backing up her every decision and also keeping her on display so everyone else could see her, now including her as well. She had a great view in the bathroom mirror at her face twisted by tide of warm pleasure unting her muscles. He was her greatest admirer and wanted everyone to know how beautiful she is, Dani herself wasn’t an exception.

The moans were boiling in her throat, but only muffled cries vibraited with each of her exhales. She could see her nostrils pulsate with her heavy breathing, brows furrowing, waiting for the tension to dissolve. And she could see Malcolm, staring with his beautiful cold eyes at her face. He wanted to watch as her muscles were tensing up more and more until that one circle of his fingers when Dani felt all of her muscles going limp, wave of heat flushing away all the strength necessary to keep her up.

With one arm locked across her hip and the other with the grip on her jaw, Malcolm was able to keep Dani in the same position, her now weak arms being the only support. He continued his ministation in a very slow pace, until the last shiver of orgasm went up her spine.

“You were right, princess. I  _ do love _ to watch.” He nibbled at her ear. “Especially you.”

Malcolm slowly took his hand away from her mouth, loosening his grip on her body when he was sure Dani regained control of her muscles completely, and was able to keep herself up. The moment she was no longer muzzled Dani laughed and with sincere joy followed Malcolm’s reflection with her gaze.

He walked over and leand over the sink, washing his hands. As the water was splashing against his palms, Malcolm turned his head to Dani, rising his brow nonchalantly. She just shook her head in something of a shape of disbelief. Smile still plastered on her face, Dani grabbed her underwear and disappeared into the toilet cabin.

When she stepped out, Malcolm was straightening his tie. With confidence Dani walked over and leaning with her back against the countertop, she crossed her arms on her chest. Only few seconds later Malcolm was finished with fixing his appearance and his whole attention shifted to his wife.

"That was fun." She said when their gazes locked, still grinning.

The cheer in her shining in her eyes was infectious, Malcolm reciprocated the smile.

“And surprising. I really didn’t expect you to call me daddy tonight.”

Her attitude shifted a little, as she tighten the hold against her chest. One more thing she took after Malcolm. He, and Ainsley as well, did the exact same thing when anxiety started to eating him up. But he didn’t notice that before she spoke, trying to mask her dread with humorous approach.

"What would you say if anyone else called you daddy?"

"Excuse me?” If Malcolm was to list everything he was expecting to hear from her in that moment, that wouldn’t make it to the first two hundreds. 

Surprise slowly took over his face, when his mind was digesting the question, until he finally realised that Dani was referring to possibility of their offspring and not a threesome.

“Wait, do you know about something I don't?"

"No.” Dani furrowed her brows, as she was untangling the meaning behind his question. He just asked her if she was pregnant. ”NO!"

This calmed Malcolm down. Shaking his head he turned to the side, facing her. He leaned with his hip against the counter, standing half-step closer to Dani.

"Then you're just spending too much time with my mother."

"No, Malcolm.” She was collected and firm. “I love you. And as much as that little family of ours is more than enough-- I want this."

"You’re saying that,” he moved closer to stand in front of her, caging her with his hands on both of her sides, leaning against the marble. He sustained his calmness as well, despite how stressed the topic of this conversation was making him. “But you're too scared to put it into word."

"Damn right I am scared, Bright!” Her hands exploded in the small space between them. “I want to have a baby with you! And it is scary."

Malcolm couldn’t control himself and grinned right into her face. Dani realized what happened; right after he told her she wouldn’t even say out loud she wanted a kid, she did exactly that. Her head hanged down, as she herself smiled politely at the trap she got caught into.

"And you just said it." He smiled, as he'd won. Because he did.

"And I just said it." Dani repeated in defeat.

Few second of silence passed before Malcolm spoke. His voice wa quieter than before, very gentle. "I love you..."

"...but no." She cut through his sentence.

Dani rose her head to face him and huffed a sad laugh when their eyes met. That's how Malcolm had to feel when he asked her to marry him, before she had a chance to deliver the actual answer. She loved him and he knew that, but still assumed she wouldn't agree to. And now, she did the same mistake - she believed "I love you" was a diversion, when indeed it was a confirmation. 

"I didn't said that." One corner of his mouth twitch up.

Dani was fighting very hard with her enthusiasm, to not get her hopes too high. Of course she failed, shock and euphoria tinted her voice, muting it to the volume of a whisper. "Malcolm…" 

"Dani.” He mirrored her, with this difference his face actually stayed unmoved. It looked as if he was very sure of his decision. “I really wouldn't mind someone else calling me daddy."

Laughter bubbled at the back of her throat. She was overtaken by joy. Her hands almost without her control went to cup his face and Dani dragged him closer to her, kissing him on the lips.

When she reclined back to once again look at her husband sprinkle of shock peppered her expression. She was surprised she didn’t leave lipstick stain in a shape of her lips on his. Then she remembered - leaving the house she deliberately didn’t put the lipstick on. Which turned out to be very good coincidence, considering Malcolm’s palm against her mouth while the other one was the very reason why her mouth had to be muzzled.

Malcolm didn’t have a chance to ask about the surprise reflecting in her eyes as Dani spoke first. "You're be a real dilf."

His eyes grew bigger in no time, and before Malcolm gathered his wits to respond, his mouth opened a little in a mindless manner.

"Don't ever say that again."

"That's not mine line.” She delivered teasingly. “It's Ainsley’s. So you have to talk with her."

Malcolm straighten, moving his hands to her hips, trying to fight the hurt and confusion from showing in his change of posture.

"You spoke with my sister about the baby?"

"Malcolm, listen to me. I spoke with my very good friend, who happened to be your sister, about my future with the man I love. But the decision is mine.  _ Ours _ ."

Moment when he thought his opinion wasn’t valid passed. He got closer, until his nose bumped with Dani’s. He could almost feel as her lashes tickles his cheeks.

"So now all that has left for us to do is the fun part…"

"Actually, no.” With palms flat on his chest Dani pushed him away. “We should both go to the doctors. Your pills, my drugs… "

"You're fine. You're clean for what-- 6 years?"

"Something like that. But if we want the baby, we need to get  _ you  _ in shape."

" _ Oh… _ "

Malcolm was praying in his head that because Dani was so focused on his eyes, she didn’t notice how his ear went scarlet red and started burning. But she knew him well enough to not need to see his somatic reaction in order to know where his mind ran.

"Do I have to make the whole speech? That you're not any less of a man with erectile problems, you never left me unsatisfied and if anything, I feel terrible because I can't do anything--"

"Danielle."

He actually felt better with this couple of sentences before Dani started spirling into blaming her femininity of not doing its job well enough, and Malcolm had to ground her back into reality.

"Sorry. But we need you to get it up to get me pregnant." She gesticulated broadly, in one motion pointing at him, his crotch and her belly.

They both were very much talking with their hands as much as with their mouths. When Dani and Malcolm argued, there was always a threat one would gouge out an eye, oneself's or the other's.

"Pregnant.” That world compromised Bright’s brain functions. “With a baby."

"Your baby." Dani teased him further.

His gaze for a moment left her face, when Malcolm tried to recollect his thoughts. And then he looked back at her. "Future looks very bright for us, Mrs Bright…"

Dani rolled her eyes, shaking her head but still a very wide grin was spread across her face.

“We better go back. Mother probably already noticed we’re not there.”

“I’m sure she’ll forgive us when we’ll tell her about this new decision.”

“We’re telling her over my dead, cold body.”

Malcolm wasn’t going to share good news with anyone before they had a chance to celebrate their steps into the new direction of their life properly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Line “clingy horny little man” in context to Malcolm is [Ryan’s](https://bibright.tumblr.com/), from one of the comments they left somewhere under. So ya’ll know who the real genius is!  
> Line “do you know about something I don't?” is my dad’s. Every time my mom goes on and on how she’s not ready to be a grandmother, this is the way he asks her if I’m pregnant. I was never present during any conversation like this, but they happen every few months and that’s the question he’s been asking for the past few years.  
> Line "empty bell rings the loudest" is my poor translation of polish phrase. I believe our politicians at one point came up with this to offend each other.  
> There is a chance that if I will came up with another life-changing question for those two I might wtire it in into another smut 🍋


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> your honor, i am sad therefore i write smut 🍋  
> *cue to pathetic political situation in Poland but that's not important, go and educate yourself on Belarusian protests, personally i recommend ig account [@belsat](https://instagram.com/belsat?igshid=11e70fm7vu401) with photos and videos from Minsk*

The whole length of the arm, from the shoulder down to the fingers clamped around the toothbrush, was shaking at a rhythmic pace. _Right-left-right-left-right-left_. Her mouth was full of mint, thick foam. Dani was standing with her back to the sink, supporting herself against it with her hips, eyes mindlessly fixed at the corner of a shower cabin. The white bubbles were dripping from between her ajar mouth, growing in a volume but to spit it out she would have to turn around where the mirror was.

Dani’s reflection was recently her enemy number one, a stranger who was following her; always there, its stare coming from every reflecting surface. When looking into the mirror or just catching a reflection of herself in a window or glass divider that precinct was full of, she needed an extra second to comprehend _that's her_ , that's the image of her body. To say she didn’t feel good with her body wasn’t exactly true. Dani was disassociating, she lost the grounding connection between her mind and physique.

She liked this little swell that slowly was filling out the space of her loose blouses. Little bump that bloomed in the place of previously very flat stomach wasn’t the thing that initially threw her off. It wasn’t causing any inconveniences in her life, unlike the moment she couldn’t fit her feet into her boots or grab a pen and quickly write something down due to her ankles and fingers being all puffed up. Her face got rounder, fuller-- just like every other part of her body, really. Dani seeing her face would still claim she'd “bang her” but the problem was she was sensing no connection between the image she was seeing and herself.

She stopped, froze in a mid swing of her arm. The foam was dripping down her chin, but the situation hasn't got out of control just yet. Dani sighed and placed the other hand against her belly. She managed to hide it under a t-shirt even more oversized than usual. Now she wore it not only to keep her shoulders covered against the chill breeze of the loft, but also to hide herself, drown the insecurities in the excessive folds of the material. Her gaze followed down, looking at the small curvature under her breasts that also grew a little bigger in recent weeks.

The idea of having a baby with Malcolm was thrilling, both exciting and scary. The concept of a child in their life, of being a parent was amazing for both of them so Dani would never expect to mentally experience pregnancy so badly. She felt as if without her permission her body decided to do things against her. She was held hostage inside that foreign silhouette, her body not hers fully.

It was an internal crisis, not prompted by any specific event that might’ve occurred in the span of her pregnancy. This day also wasn’t in any way significant or special. Malcolm has woken her up with a mug of decaf put on the nightstand (she grew fond of this beverage mainly because it was hot, and warmth was what Dani truly desired in the mornings, when still stunned by the sleep). Then work, few chores and back home to what she was doing now - preparing herself for the end of the day that passed without her even paying attention. The ongoing haunting of her confidence was just playing along to her normal routine.

The problem grew bigger with Dani, slowly consuming her self-image. She hoped she hid it well, basing this belief only on the fact that Malcolm hasn't poked the topic yet, and he usually liked to address problems right away.

Her mind came back down when she heard a knock against the open door. It was her dear husband, and he found her frozen by a tide of not so pleasant thoughts. Dani jumped at the sharp sound, taking her hand away from her belly as if she was just caught doing something bad. On top of that she poked herself with the head of the toothbrush in the gum and groaned in pain and disappointment at her clumsy self. She heard his laugh, and sighed through the ridiculous amount of foam in her mouth.

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” Malcolm explained with a smile modest on his lips but unabashed in his eyes.

She turned around, glaring over the cheer on his face. Dani slowly leaned over the sink, spit out and washed her mouth. When that was done her hands got busy with rinsing out the brush and after placing it in the tumblr standing by the tap. Her gaze moved to face Malcolm, not even glancing at the reflection of herself. Looking at him she noticed his smile growing, showing off the pretty row of those pearly teeth of his.

“What?”

“You have a toothpaste in the corner--” Malcolm pointed at his own mouth to help Dani localize the residue on her own face. But she started to rub the corner on the wrong side so he just reached to her and rub off the paste with his own thumb.

“Thanks…”

Bright caught she didn’t turn to the mirror and instead tried blindly clean her face off. There wouldn’t be anything strange to that but this behaviour was very unlike Dani. She deliberately was avoiding looking at herself, blocking the mirror by changing the angle she was facing him at. It wasn’t the first time when he made an observation like that, sensing the discomfort of the mere thought that her reflection was right there. 

Walking over, he approached her from behind and dragged her few inches back, firmly pressing her back against his front. She immediately felt warmth coming from his body and melted into it, snuggling into his chest. His hands landed on the sides of her tights, as he dug his chin in her shoulder.

It was hard to ignore those striking blue eyes that she knew were staring at her in the reflection of the mirror that Malcolm put them in front of. Few seconds passed but she still hadn't raised her stare to meet his. The discomfort was growing heavy on her shoulders, she wanted to somehow shift it but he would right away sense the anxiety in her movement. So she was standing still, drowning in the comforting scent of his cologne.

It was a provocation. They were always so eager to look at each other so now when she didn’t - Malcolm had a conformation for his worries. Dani sensed that's the moment she dreaded, when he was going to address her problem with the self-image.

"Why don't you look in the mirror?" He whispered curiously into her ear, playfully stroking the side of her neck with the tip of his nose.

Dani rose her stare to meet his in the reflection, to disprove his theory. "You're imagining things."

The shiver that was tangled across the length of her spine hasn’t freed itself only because of the effort to look straight at him, and not at her own face. 

"No, I'm not." Malcolm softly swinged them, knotting his fingers under her belly. "You are avoiding looking at your body, you don't even look down. And while half of the year ago I would know it's because you're proud and not afraid to have your head up, I see currently something's not right. And it's not difficult to figure out what, darling.” Dani placed her hands on his, sensing the overwhelming wave of care coming from him. “Why haven't you come to me with whatever is really bothering you?"

"You were always good with words." She tried to dismiss his worry and for now Malcolm let her, dropping the seriousness.

"I prefer to think I'm good with my mouth." He nibbled at her earlobe and Dani blushed. That man had no shame and she was going to raise a child with him.

But despite the joking tone they ended up with, he was honestly perturbed. It came back to his face, crystallizing the turquoise embers in his eyes that were looking deep into hers. He was searching for clues for what to say to encourage her to open up. She bit her lip as if trying to keep in the words of the confession he wanted to hear. Dani was jumping around with her stare, slowly focusing on each item she found intriguing enough to pay attention to it. After a moment she patted him on his wrists, thumbs hooked between his forearms and her hips, and untangled herself from between his arms with a loving smile glossing her features.

As Dani was walking away Malcolm followed her with his gaze. When she disappeared he leaned out of the bathroom to see how she was lighting up the candles scattered around their bedroom. Aching a little she dismissed his worry so swiftly Malcolm walked back inside in the bathroom and devoted himself to his own routine.

When he walked out from the bathroom the cacophony of scents welcomed him. The mixture was coming from all those scented candles Dani placed around the loft. But she herself wasn't in his immediate sightline, so he stepped deeper into the apartemen, eventually finding her in the kitchen. She was digging through the drawers with a notebook and a pencil in her hand - a grocery shopping list in making. The moment the last drawer she was inspecting closed shut Dani turned around and found Malcolm leaning over the countertop.

She was aware that if he wanted to have a conversation with her she could avoid it only for so long, but she still was trying to dodge it. Before Malcolm had a chance to speak she grabbed him by the arm and led them to the bed. Dani sat him at the edge of the bed, pushing him down with the arm across his abdomen. Her hand caressed across his stomach as she laid down, crawling on the bed. Lying flat on the mattress Dani shoved her feet onto his laps.

Malcolm, knowing what she wanted, started obediently knitting his thumbs into the arch of one foot. When her lids dropped heavy, blissful untying of the knots in her leg, he picked up their conversation.

"Talk to me, please."

Irritated groan was the immediate reaction she gave him, but nothing else followed. Dani found no words to fill the scented air with.They continued sitting in the silence. Malcolm switched the foot he was working on, for starters pressed his fingers between her phalanges purposely a little harder.

" _Danielle._ " This got him a heavy, theatrical sigh, but Malcolm wasn’t sure if it was a sign of her defeat or reaction to him using her full name.

Too afraid to see his face at what she had to say her eyes stayed closed as she spoke.

"I don't like what I'm seeing when I look at myself. Not because I don't feel attractive or something-- I don't feel _myself_." She half-opened of one eye to meet the worried stare of Malcolm. Its warmth felt encouraging, so she opened both of her eyes fully and rose on her elbows, looking at him as she continued to explain. "I feel the baby inside, and I’m happy it's there. The belly with our child inside is amazing. But everything else? I look as if I swelled up after a particularly bad bee stung."

Malcolm saw a reason in all of what she just said, and couldn’t find any words in himself to try to successfully change her mind. So he settled with something simple but true.

"You're beautiful."

"I know,” Dani giggled, “but I just don't feel like _me_." She poked his now resting hands with her toes. "Do the calves too."

Before Malcolm took his eyes off her and reached back to her legs Dani pointed at the candle sitting on the nightstand. It was one of those candles for massage. Malcolm reached for the metal container that was halfly filled with melted, vanilla scented wax. He poured a little on his hand and as his fingers started combing through the fibers of her muscles, Dani groaned with relief.

"You're good with your fingers as well." She joked poorly, but it was enough to make him huff a laugh. 

Dani laid back with a pillow under her head. He continued his ministrations, knitting the soft flesh and she closed her eyes again. Malcolm moved to sit comfortably further on the bed, patiently searching for each knot buried in between her tissue and then worked his way to the other leg. In the meantime Dani’s breathing got calmer, with deeper inhales and steady exhales. His fingers went a bit higher, leaving a greasy trail on her knee up to the lower thigh.

Slowly feeling out the ambience Malcolm separated his hands, dividing his attention between both thighs. Fingers moving higher up, grazing over the skin so far hidden under the hem of a very long t-shirt. Dani felt tingle in her stomach, youthful cheer closing her throat as she smiled so tightly her cheeks were aching, blushing hot. She liked the idea of what he was offering with his touch, but not so much the idea of him facing the problem she just opened up about.

"Do you want to look at me?" She asked from her position, eyes still shut but face burning with amusement.

It wasn't a hypothetical question; she hasn’t meant it as _in general_. Dani was referring specifically to here and now, to what was to happen between them in a few minutes. He could hear the hope in her voice for the negative answer.

"What do you mean?"

His voice, raspy and steady, revealed he knew exactly what she meant. That cool undertones in the question grasped her attention and Dani looked at him, diving into the greenery of his eyes, peeking through that icy blue. His expression condensed when not delivering any further explanations Dani rose up, gazes still locked, and sitting, turned around. As she was slowly bending over, crawling back at the end of the bed, lowering herself on her hands, Malcolm caught her by the waist and brought her up to a straight position. She dropped low on her knees, finding balance on the spread legs.

His hands went down from her still very defined waist. He passed her hips and didn't stop the slow caress until his skin met hers. Malcolm’s hands still were sleek from the wax against her thighs when he started going up and down in a slow pace, sometimes wandering further to the insides, between her legs.

Dani closed the eyes and threw her head back against his shoulder. His mouth found her stretched skin the moment her curls were pressed with her skull into his collarbone. Malcolm grazed the crook between the neck and shoulder with the tip of his nose, then left a kiss with his soft lips and moved higher, always fist teasing each place.

After few delicate pokes of his nose against her neck Dani released a giggle of joy, cutting through her heavy breathing. His palms were laying flat against her skin when Malcolm moved them higher, under her shirt. His lips were grazing against the skin of her neck, with the air of spoken words tickling her there. "Let's get this out of the way first."

Holding the hem he slowly dragged the garment up until her hands fell freely behind her, landing on his head and she tangled her fingers in his hair. Malcolm placed the shirt behind him, knowing well that when they'll be done Dani would like to put it back on without any searching. Then Malcolm swiftly took off his own shirt, craving to feel her skin against his.

Dani’s hands came back into his hair, and Malcolm with arm across her chest pressed her into himself. His lips met the newly exposed skin, slowly marking with wet spots the line of her shoulder. Having her body pressed firmly into his, Malcolm moved his hands up to her elbows and started caressing her arms up and down and up, and down through her ribcage to the hips.

"Just for the record,” he whispered into her ear, “I always want to look at you."

The answer was in a similarly silent, breathy voice "But tonight I don't want to be looked at."

"I know.” Malcolm kissed her jaw and continued with his scruffy cheeks pressed against hers. “That's fine."

Dani felt an ambience of safety at those words. She didn’t need permission to not feel great about her body but it was nice to hear he would adjust to her tonight’s wish. With his hands wandering back to her chest he moved them to her back and pushed down delicately.

There was a collection of pillows on the bed. Dani started hoarding them when her body was feeling uncomfortably in more and more positions as the pregnancy progressed. She settled on her forearms soft stack against her chest and face to keep herself somehow stable. Malcolm got closer and dragged her by her hips to him. This caused a shift in her position, legs were tucked along her ribcage, spreading her knees a little further apart. It was his input into finding a stable and safe position for her.

Ache was grounding, the feeling of pulling in her tendrons along the arched feet and deep in the groins, between her hips and thighs. Now her legs were in the position that they wouldn't just slip apart, breaking under her weight and causing a fall on the belly; she wasn't that stretched. Her stiff muscles were the barrier saving her from the crash, so Dani relaxed. 

She felt his warm palms going from her shoulder blades down to her ass gripping her hip with one hand. Fingers of the other hand slipped between her legs, inspecting the wetness there. Amused mixture of groan and laugh rumbled in his throat at his finding, partially surprised Dani was that much in the mood. Taking his hand away Malcolm lowered his pants and grabbed his length, pulling; palm pressed against hardening tissue, hot with blood.

It wasn’t a night for any advanced foreplay. The moment Malcolm determined he’s hard enough, he entered Dani. Feeling him deep inside her, Dani gasped quietly, muted by the chest her face was hidden under. His hands were grabbing her hips, fingers digging under the bone deep into the flesh. There wasn’t much talking, just wordless thrusts in a rhythmic pace. 

Sweet scent of candles mixed with salty and acidy reek of their sweat. Warmth coming from dozen little flames was taken over by the heat of their aroused bodies chasing the pleasure, and hot breaths colored with moans and gasps. 

Consciousness that Malcolm wasn’t looking at her in this moment was freeing. Dani felt reconnected with her body at the numb pleasure growing in the spots he was poking her, leaving her thighs wet. Blood was rushing through her parts, pulsing and clenching muscles at the upcoming release. Dani, feeling the growing hunger for the finish, moved one arm to reach her clit with the hand. Loosing half of the support her head dropped lower into the pillows, fiercely pressing forehead into it.

Malcolm noticed it and heard suddenly muffled moans. As a solution he freed her hip, caressing with his palm the length of her spine. Finally diving his fingers into the curls, massaging the scalp before grabbing the fistful of hair and pulling at them, raising her head, arching back the neck. A gasp mixing joy and surprise escaped Dani's lips, going freely through stretched out throat.

Simultaneously to the sudden roughness, his moves got quicker. To accompany her gasps Malcolm started pantig louder, air catching a vibration of his moans in every other exhale. His head dropped lower, chin almost meeting his chest. Stare fixed on the little of Dani he could observe, as she started quickly rubbing her clit, fingers slipping on the slickness.

She felt a wave of heat rising with each of his thrusts and each of the circles she made against herself. Her toes curled, feet stretched into shaper arches as she pressed her pelvis back into Malcolm. Pulling at the hair and pressing hard inside her he was moaning, eager for his own finish. Knot in his belly loosen, floating his limbs with wave of hot release. Malcolm reached his orgasm, riding out its residues in hope Dani is close.

Years of her youth passed and she wasn't stretched enough, Dani's legs were hurting. The tingling feeling from her lower back to the middle of each foot, while the upper part of her body was creaking under the angle of her neck, her head almost touching the dip between her shoulder blades. The cacophony of sensensions overloaded Dani's brain and she came, frantically working circles with her fingers against the throbbing tissue, painfully overfilled with blood. Finishing, she gasped loudly, trying to find her regular heartbeat again, feeling through her body relaxing spasms.

Before her limbs could collapse under her, Malcolm managed to roll her to her side, saving little baby bump. Dani laughed at his precaution. Her back was in pain after being arched, bending her ass so Malcolm could fuck her. He sat back, breathing heavily, and slowly moved his legs from under himself before they got number. Dani, to face him, slowly slid onto her back, reaching out for her collection of pillows to find the most comfortable position.

"It was very plain sex." Malcolm said as he crawled next to her, handing back her shirt.

He had very unusual definicion of boring sex, even after years of being happily married with Dani, who didn’t let things too kinky into their lifes. With a grateful smile she took the shirt from him, but ignored the garment and caught his hand, playing with his fingers.

"Very good, nonetheless…” Her breathing came back to normal. “I like days like this."

"What do you mean?" Malcolm tilted his head, curious what was in her head.

"When we're just boring married couple.” She was caressing his forearm up and down, and started with soft voice. “Wake up, work 9 to 5, come back home, eat home cooked dinner, go to bed and make boring love."

Malcolm couldn’t contain laughter at the observations of his wife. "I have a normal life."

"Who would've thought." Dani joined in, mouth spread with a wide glee.

“The only thing we’re lacking is a house with a backyard.” 

“And a dog.”

“I hate dogs.”

“Cat then?”

“I can only agree for a second parakeet.”

"We’ll get Sunshine a friend then. Moonlight?"

"You're always this poetic?" Malcolm barked a laugh, following Dani with his gaze as she rose and put the shirt back, letting it hang loosely on her shoulders.

She hasn’t laid back down and ignoring his provocation, announced unoriginally. “I need to pee.”

Using her absence Malcolm grabbed a tissue box and cleaned himself up. There’ll be time for shower in the morning.

When she came back he was laying under the covers, still shirtless. His ambition never reached the need of redressing.

“But thinking about it,” Dani started, climbing into the bed. “We could get a house.” She finished, again facing him on her stack of pillows.

“What?” Malcolm rose on his elbows; he couldn’t hide his surprise.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love this place, but I wouldn’t describe it as child-friendly.” She made a grimace, uncomfortably biting on her lips.

“The blades?” Malcolm joked, rising one brow.

“The open bedroom.” Dani murmured, leaning over to kiss him. Only then added, squinting her eyes at him. “ _And_ the blades.”

She joined him under the duvet, attaching herself to his side. Malcolm spoke, only when he felt her cheek pressed against his peck.

“So we’re going to start house hunting.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll call mother in the morning. She probably will be much of help.”

“I’ll call.”

“Huh?”

“Gil will be thrilled when I’ll take few days off.” Malcolm sent her down a curious look. Dani locking gazes nodded feverishly. “Oh, yeah! Apparently pregnant detective he has an emotional attachment to isn’t something that guy ever learned how to deal with. And the fact the boy that saved him over 20 years ago is the father doesn’t make things easier for him.”

Dani paused for a while, seeing that Malcolm needed to digest her words. Waiting for his brain to finish processing she started wandering with her hand around his chest, playing with the hairs there.

“Next week, he wants to bring in the replacement so I would fill them in.” She half-whispered when his hand started equally mindlessly caressing her back.

“I am glad you’re going on the leave.”

Dani chuckled. “We’ll see how quickly you will take that back after I’ll start spending days with Jessica.”

“She will make sure you’re safe and taken care of while I’ll be irresponsibly running around.”

“I don’t need saving, Bright.”

“I know. I would just call it “troubles by association” as you’re my wife, and her daughter-in-law.”

“Does that ratio grow, as I have a person of your descent inside me?”

Malcolm laughed out loud. “I hope _not_. My troubles are enough.”

“I love your troubles.”

And snuggling into his chest Dani let herself fall asleep, feeling a little bit better with herself in his company.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same as last time, if an idea will came I will write it and add to this stack of crap. No promises. Also, I am open for suggestions so feel free (who am I kidding there's no one there we're living in a glitching simulation and y'all are figments of my imagination).


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this insead of my thesis. it how i cope, ok? 🍋  
> SOMEHOW someone is apparently still clicking into this burning pile of crap. Enjoy, I guess?  
> (yes, I still stand that's more likely y'all are pornbots or just site glitching)

Traffic in New York was relentless. The air that cars were cutting through was hot from the engines running at low revs, and heavy in taste from fumes of gasoline. One of the elements of that scene was Dani, riding the shotgun and choking on the mixture of hers and Malcolm’s perfumes, that was filling out the dry cold breeze blowing at her from the AC. She felt how the inside of her nostrils and down to the bottom of her throat was drying out, tasting the fragrance diluted in alcohol that was burning the dryness of her mucosa.

She would’ve reached to the backseat for her purse, to get the water bottle out and put out the firing drought in her throat, but she already desperately needed to pee. Stress was shrinking her bladder to the size of the peanut, and she had no idea when they’ll reach their destiny and she’ll have a chance to release herself. The movement on the streets was usually slow, typical for early rush hours. The progress in their drive was noticeable, but it wasn’t significant enough to not make her frustrated.

Closed in the metal can on wheels Dani felt like they were chasing the sunset. Her eyes were tearing up, fixed on the burning circle of the sun. The sky was plain, no cloud on this blue bottomless abyss, only white shine between buildings. It was blinding, burning the pupils, but Dani couldn’t take her eyes off of it, begging it to not get any lower. Time was passing unyieldingly, the hands of the clock getting closer and closer to the number at which they were supposed to be at their kid’s school. 

They were on a really cramped schedule today. Regular day at a crime-fighting job and then the parenting responsibility of attending their son’s little recital during various artistic performances prepared by kids. Due to that shortage of time Dani had to crash two of her daylight personas into one outfit. 

Fusion of tough cop and elegant mom forced her into the look of a sexy secretary, with high heels, black stockings, short pencil skirt and loose silk blouse. She was able to think as quickly and brightly as any other day in a relatively comfortable clothing, but her mobility was compromised. So not exactly an outfit she would willingly put herself into.

There never was a pressure from Malcolm for her to look a certain way, and what Dani at first thought was a pressure from Jessica when she was getting married into the family - was actually just a not so polite steer into a section of pricey clothes. Her mother in law wanted Dani to look better, not different, and Dani needed some time to realise that was the case.

Dani dressed purely for parents of other kids at school. They were always judging her, seeing her as an outside aberration. Not all of them of course, but those whose stares were daggering her the most were enough of a reason for Dani to today put herself into an outfit very unusual in her day to day routine. All this while Malcolm didn’t even have to try; he always wore perfectly fitting suits. And that’s why he was the one driving, Dani’s feet garnished with stilettos, now anxiously shaking her whole frame.

Malcolm looked off the packed road ahead of them and his eyes gravitated to his wife, stress pouring from her. “Everything all right?” His voice was collected, an initial attempt to soothe her visibly shattered nerves.

“No.” Dani snapped right back. “We’re gonna be late,” she added more quietly, maybe more to herself than to him. Not looking at him, her stare was nervously jumping around the outside world.

His eyes jumping between her and the road, Malcolm let her worries settle in, and spoke again after a solid minute of silence. “Dani, it starts in half an hour and Callum knew we could be late.”

“He’s five years old, he shouldn't be worried if his parents are gonna make it.” Modest passion started pouring from her angry tone. Her eyes quickly went to Malcolm, leaving the world outside, before again focusing on the people on the sidewalk. “And still, it doesn’t mean we can miss it. It’s important for him.”

“I know.” In the emphasis of him agreeing with her, to his tranquill voice, Malcolm’s fingers released the wheel, now only thumbs hooked under its top.To not irk her further he hyperfocused on the slowly relaxing crowd of cars in their lane.

“And we made a deal with him, right?” Dani drilled her stare into Malcolm, her voice getting defensive. “We’ll decide if we’ll buy him a piano after only we’ll see him playing. And he really wants the piano, he seems excited about the possibility of a piano in a living room.”

The amount of world “piano” in her line was for Malcolm a clear indicator how stressed she was. He found it kinda funny and couldn’t suppress the smile, huffing a laugh. Before Dani had a chance to attack him for that, accusing him of not taking her seriously he spoke. “Oh, yesterday he told me you agreed to put it in his room.”

Their son was charming as any other Whitly, and for sure he did try to convince Malcolm that mom already agreed to something so ridiculous. Moment of silence followed, where they were devouring the thought of their cunning son. Dani chuckled and it was almost painful, the knots of stress they won’t make it on time tightening around her chest when breathy laughter left her lips. Malcolm saw this is his cue.

“I knew you wouldn’t but I really didn’t want to accuse him of lying.” A pause that let him shift into a more serious tone. “Dani, Cal knows we work odd job at odd hours.” Another glance in her direction. After Malcolm’s gaze came back on the road he added conspiratorially, “that’s exactly why he asked to be the last to perform.”

Her whole frame twisted in the seat, belt digging painfully into her bladder. Her eyes grew big and round with shock. “It was his idea?” Dani knew he was performing at the very end, they got a flyer designed by children, promoting tonight’s event and Callum was last on the schedule, but she didn't suspect it was their son’s interference.

“Yes, he asked Miss Myslovitz to put him last on the list, because he wanted  _ you  _ to have a chance to see him.”

“You mean  _ us _ .” She corrected him, staring at his profile, bleached by the sharp sunrays.

“No, I mean  _ you _ . I would’ve bought him that piano the moment he asked. The deal is with you.”

The stress again pushed her to the defense. “Don’t paint me as the bad parent.”

“Danielle, you’re not a bad parent!” The confusion at the fact he even had to say something so obvious out loud tinted his voice, shifting it into higher pitch. “Not now, not ever. Not spending fortune on an enormous instrument just makes you a reasonable person. Which is why I am surprised you married me.” Malcolm added a little joke, trying to get Dani out of the deep stress.

“You made me pretty baby during amazing sex.” Dani glued her eyes off the crowd walking by and looked at Malcolm, flirtatiously reaching to him, placing her palm flat on his thigh.

“And that’s the reason to marry someone?” Performative curiosity of academic under layer filled his question. Dani laughed, feeling her full bladder under the tensing muscles of her abdomen.

“No, but it's a nice benefit.” During the pause her tone shifted from coquettish to genuinely touched. “That little devil really asked to perform last so we could make it?”

“Uh-huh. He said to me he doesn't want you to know and it'll be a sweet secret and we’ll pretend it was luck.” The cars moved forward at his words and traffic loosened up a little. ”We’re gonna make it, don’t torment yourself.”

She wished it was that simple, but even when her rational mind finally comprehended they will be on time, or maybe just a bit late, but definitely they will make it to Cal’s act, she still was vigorously bouncing her leg. Malcolm sent her a look a few times, in a mute beg for her to stop, that it was distracting him, but she couldn’t force herself to sit still.

“I really want to already be there. I drank one coffee too much and I need to pee so badly.” Malcolm’s lip twitched in a side-smirk, so Dani couldn’t see it.

The remaining part of the drive went smoothly, but slowly. They managed to reach the school parking lot five minutes before the start of the show. Before Malcolm even clicked the button of handbrake Dani was already out of the car, rushing in tiny steps to search for a bathroom. With a loud sigh through lips stretched in a smile, Malcolm turned the engine off and slowly made his way to the inside, taking in the building of brown bricks and reflective windows.

Stepping inside Bright looked around, spinning on the heel. He had been attending this school a lifetime ago; before his father was unmasked as a monster, the killer of the century… Right in front of him there was a huge staircase, width of over 10 feet, that was dividing into two smaller ones from the next floor - both of them spiraling and leading directly to the two entrances to the assembly hall. It was all empty, every parent already was seated, waiting for the show to begin.

Malcolm could walk right in, save the seat for Dani, but he was too worried about the level of her stress and decided to go for a search. He stepped to the nearest restroom, expecting Dani did the same. He approached the sink and as cold water was rinsing down the soapy foam from his hands the flushing noise filled the space. Dani stepped outside and froze in surprise.

“What are you doing here?”

“It's a men's bathroom.” His reflection explained to her, with a grin plastered on his face.

“Is it?” Only partially worried, Dani went to the sink herself. She was an adult woman and she went in there to pee, there really wasn’t a major point in caring about a little mistake here.

Malcolm nonchalantly leaned against the sink where seconds ago he was washing his hands, now drying them with a paper towel while eyeing Dani up.

“What are you doing?” Dani asked with a mix of annoyance and curiosity. She could sense his stare without even looking up, as she continued washing her hands and then picked up a sheet of paper towel herself.

“You’re still stressed, even though we made it on time.”

Dani slowly turned to the side to face him and with a sardonic smile, stepped closer. “Believe it or not, I can’t fix it. Wasn’t it you who told me it’s all hormones?” Shrugging her shoulders she added, “can’t help it.”

Malcolm leaned to her, remembering her cold palm against his thigh in the car, now their eyes on the same level due to her high heels. “But I believe I can…”

His arm delicately sneaked around her waist, pulling her closer; so close Dani could swear if they’d blink simultaneously their eyelashes would tangle together. She could feel their absoments firmly pressed together.

“I would kindly appreciate if you’re thinking what I’m thinking.” Malcolm said into the small space between their mouths, closing the gap even more.

“That’s the most married thing you’ve ever said.” She smiled, and angled her back to press her hips into his a bit harder, placing her hands on the nape of his neck, playing with the geled strands.

He leaned even closer, until the tip of his nose caressed her. “Don’t mess up the hair,” he whispered. Dani knew he was being playful but also genuine in his request.

They froze for a second, Malcolm was waiting if Dani would back off. When she didn’t Malcolm tighten his grip around her waist, placing the other hand on her hip and gently pushed her backward, to get them into the last stool, where they could use the support of the wall. Steps were slow and appropriately small, so Dani could easily manage in her tight short skirt and high heels. Her feet were getting lost between his, their knees buckling together, insides of tights grazing against each other. A rhythmless dance that made her heart skip a beat, while looking into his eyes where frisky sparks were dancing.

"I married you if only to be fucked in a semi public scenarios by a man in an amazing suit." Dani said through a smile in a low voice, hanging on his shoulder and being led backwards.

Malcolm opened the door and not spareting from Dani's body for a second he locked them inside. With that done Malcolm abruptly pushed harder into Dani, with force pressing her into the cold tiled wall, to the sound of her badly suppressed giggle. Her hands wandered to his jacket, unbuttoning it and then pulling his shirt from his pants, craving his hot skin under her cold palms. When she managed that a shift in the ambience took place. Something more raw was woken in them. Dani wanted to be selfish with his body. Wanted him close, pressed hard against her and inside her. Wanted to be pleased and unapologetically worshiped. And Malcolm was very good at that.

With her hands flat against his sides, his released her waist and wandered up to the neck. Looking deep into her eyes Malcolm traced a pattern down her throat with his fingertips and started unbuttoning her shirt. The sleek silk slided down on her shoulders, revealing more and more of her chest with each button popped. He looked down at the pattern of the stretch marks on her chest and leaned down to kiss her there. His lips brushed against her round breast supported with withe bra, pushing out a sigh out of her chest. White lace was contrasting on her skin - making it darker for the eyes, so lighter, long healed scars, souvenirs from breastfeeding, became striking in this illusion.

Dani was never insecure about them, especially now that her chest was only for her and Malcolm to be seen, and he always loved her tits. He rose, for a moment his gaze locked with Dani’s, before his eyes dropped following his fingertips.The warm pads of his fingers started caresing slowly the little divots in her skin, feeling out the slightly bumpy texture when he ran his hands over them, but not terribly deep. Dani shivered at the pattern he was painting with his touch.

He went up, on the side of her neck. Her shaky breaths told him she was anticipating something while absolutely enjoying what she was being served at this very moment. Malcolm locked her gaze with his, following the changes in her wide open eyes. His fingers repeatedly went up and down.

He saw Dani was all worked up with just his touch and the promise it was delivering. Malcolm bent down a little, just to grab the hem of her skirt and get it up, ruffling it around her hips. With the upper parts of her thighs naked and exposed he grabbed them, digging his fingers into her golden flesh. With a firm hold on her legs, Malcolm separated them little, pushing his leg between hers. Dani felt as he brushed against her and involuntarily buckled her hips to prolong the sensation. A quiet gasp let out of her mouth and she started humping his thigh, smiling devilishly as she felt Malcolm’s growing erection against her thigh.

He liked to look, so his gaze was heavily pinning her eyes, watching as she was fucking his thigh, craving the friction. His right hand released her leg and went back up, caressing the exposed neck but instead of going down after a long stroke of his fingers, Malcolm caressed her jawline, going higher across her cheek until they landed on her lower lip. He lightly pushed it down with his fingertips, forcing Dani to open her mouth.

She purred as he slowly snuck his middle and ring fingers down her tongue. She didn’t close the mouth, keeping it relaxed. The eye contact they sustained was making her knees weak, but she knew Malcolm was a mess as well - at the sight of her with his fingers penetrating her mouth. Her mouth around his two fingers, the pressure against her wet tissue contributed to the carnat knot in her stomach.

Dani felt his grip on her jaw, between his thumb digging under the bone and the two fingers inside. She arched her neck a little, Malcolm’s gaze landed on the tips of her shiny teeth now peeking from under her upper lip, coloured with brown shade.

"Keep them wet, princess."

Dani obliged and closed her lips around his knuckles, sucking ever so slightly. Her hands went to his wrist, her thumb between the pads of his palm, and Dani slowly pulled it out, looking into his eyes. She felt the charcoal in her irises was burning with dirty lust, the greenery of his following that fire of passion.

His digits converted in her saliva found its way down, until Dani felt they found their place between her legs, under the lace of her panties. They got right to work, rubbing circles that were sending hot sparkles through her system, causing her to dig her nails into his arms. Malcolm leaned down, wanting to connect their lips.

"Don't kiss me" Dani said firmly between the irregular breaths, surprising Malcolm that she spoke at all. His confused look told her everything. "Did I stutter? Don't you fucking kiss me," she leaned over to whisper through clenched teeth into his ear, "I left lipstick in the car, I won't be able to fix it." She explained with a laugh.

So he went lower and licked the column of her throat, not stopping the movement of his palm against her slickness. Dani loved his tongue on her skin, her own sexual deviation he taught her. Now she felt his hot tongue, followed by his cold lip gliding on the wet trail of his saliva up her throat. He stopped in the middle of the neck, planting the open-mouthed wet kiss. It forced a gasp from Dani’s lungs. Then his tongue continued going further up.

"I can taste your perfume on your neck." He whispered into the skin, when he reached with his mouth the spot under her jaw.

"Just don't get drunk on them," Dani chuckled breathly.

"If I was to get drunk it would be on you, not the alcohol of your perfume." His low whisper danced in her earlobe, making her shiver in the rhythm of her hips grinding against his thigh. She felt the dark hunger for her eating him up.

Just like he knew he couldn't kiss her because she won't have means to redo her lipstick, she knew she couldn't mess his hair, for the same reason. Wave after wave of dull pleasure was rolling through her body so looking for a place where she could convey the tension to, Dani wrapped his silk tie around her fist and stretched out her arm behind his back, pulling the garment. Loop around his neck tightened. At that Malcolm lost control and groaned in her neck, grinding against her. She could feel his hard dick digging into her thigh, and it wasn’t the place when she wanted it to be.

“I need you inside me.”

She didn’t have to repeat herself. Malcolm quickly undid his pants while Dani with one hand free pushed her panties down, until they loosely slit down the length of her leg, hitting the floor and twisting around one heel. After Malcolm resolved his situation his hand returned to her thigh, and wrapped it around his hip.

He entered her and they both gasped in unison at which Dani huffed a laugh. Seconds of stillness prevailed as they were getting used to the position. Malcolm picked up the rhythm in which his fingers were working against her. In the grip of his other palm Dani’s waist was locked. She was pulling on the tie harder with each of his thrusts, using it as a counterbalance. They both were getting closer, all already worked up.

Malcolm was drowning in a constant stream of  _ oh _ s and  _ ah _ s whispered into his ear. He could feel her clenching around him, but she definitely wasn't as close as he, and there was a need in him to warn her he might not last much longer. “I’m gonna cum.”

“Please, don’t stop.” He loved when Dani was begging mess under his doings. “I’m close," as emphasis she pulled on his tie tightening the noose, enriching his experience.

He wanted to oblige but he could fight with his body only so long. Greedy for his own release he groaned into Dani’s ear. "Come one, darling, cum with me."

His hoarse voice, the rumble of the baritone, sent chills making it for her. "Fuck," she moaned once, pressing her lips tight together, to immediately cut herself off, aware someone might’ve heared, as her finish hit her. Her body started shaking in a spasm of orgasm, riding it out. " _ Malcolm-- _ " she gasped at his last deep thrust. They finished together, panting into each other's necks.

She rested her head against the wall with eyes closed. Dani waited a moment, one leg still wrapped around his hip, breathing deeply, searching for a normal heart rate. She could feel Malcolm's gaze burning into her, on her neck, her chest. Nothing could be mistaken for the attention of those eyes. She half opened one eye catching him red handed.

"Enjoying the view?"

His eyes shot to hers. "Very much." As the words floated from his mouth, Malcolm dove into her curls and left a kiss under her ear, causing a short giggle, before pulling away from Dani. He turned around, to fix himself.

"Can you hand me the paper?" Malcolm grabbed the loose roll and handed it to Dani after he ripped off a strand for himself. Dani spoke again when Malcolm was tucking his shirt back into his pants. "This is the most awkward moment. Always."

He laughed, facing her again as he was zipping up his fly. "Can't be  _ that _ awkward. Never made you not to have spontaneous sex."

"We still have it in ourselves."

"You doubted?" With a sly smile Malcolm left with Dani fussing around with a roll of toilet paper.

As he was adjusting his tie, that was through a lot, staring into the mirror, trying to fix the knot - someone walked in. Malcolm wasn’t looking suspicious so his presence wasn’t even acknowledged. After a minute the guy walked out of the stoll and approached the line of sinks under the mirror. When he was furoiusly soaping his hands Dani walked out, still beaming of the afterglow of the orgasm her husband just gave her.

She had no idea how to act only for a split second, so no one noticed her doubts. If she’ll pretend she’s in the exact right place, people will just roll with it. So in full confidence she reached the sink next to Malcolm, who was still fighting the knot, and quickly rinsed her hands. Dani eyed him in the mirror.

“Need some help, sir?”

Malcolm sighed heavily and let go of the silk in frustration, his hands down his sides when he turned to Dani, who was just drying her hands with a paper towel. She pulled the tie a bit too forcefully, and Malcolm knew she was still in a playful mood. He hoped she'd stay that way until evening, he still wanted to kiss her. With knot fixed Dani pushed it up against his throat, locking their gazes and she put the pressure there. She liked moments like this when she was dominating him and he willingly submitted to her with his whole being, trusting her in the simplest of moments in their life.

At this point the man next to them started paying attention to them, following their actions in the mirror. Dani fixed the tie and with a tight smile padded him on the shoulder, turning around and leaving with the pater of stilettos against the hard floor.

The man wasn’t even pretending he’s not interested in what just happened. “Whose wife was that?”

Malcolm knew this trail of thoughts - the person next to him assumed he just fucked someone’s wife and either hoped for fresh portion of rumors or was curious if he had a chance himself. Malcolm couldn’t blame him, Dani was a very attractive woman, especially when radiating in her afterglow.

But the assumption was wrong - they weren’t active participants in infidelity. “Mine,” Malcolm answered proudly and grinned at the luck he had in his life to end up married to Dani. With that cleared out he just left the bathroom, once again seeking for his wife.

Malcolm headed back to their primary destination, the assembly hall. He didn’t have to search long until he spotted her curls, as Dani was wallflowering on the side. She didn’t even bother to look for an empty chair, probably not wanting to cause any fuss. Malcolm walked over to her, and leaned against the wall shoulder to shoulder.

"Okey, being late doesn't make us bad parents.” Dani whispers, testing out the volume of her voice to make sure no one would hear them. “But does being late because we were having sex?"

"I doubt that. My father set the bar of being a bad parent pretty high." Malcolm delivered in all seriousness.

No more words were said as they were staying there, watching kids one after another presenting their artistic soul. When a familiar head of frizzy curls popped from above the keys, scratching the sky with his nose that he inherited from his father, Dani smiled and reached for Malcolm’s hand.

When the performance was finished their hands separated to give the ovations, for their son and then for the whole group of kids that joined their boy on the stage.

“Definitely should get one of those.” Dani leaned over to whisper into Malcolm’s ear and pointed at the stage.

He tilted back a little, looking confused, and asked. “A kid?”

She mirrored his confusion, looking at him with shock. After her mind digested his words she clarified. “A piano, Bright.”

“Sure, that's what I was thinking.”

“Sure.” Malcolm went back with his stare to the conglomeration of children. Dani continued to look at him, staring at the sharp contour of his profile. “But you know? I like yours better.” Dani bit her lip to fight a smile, squinting her eyes at him.

In shock, Malcolm’s head turned to face her once again. It was wordless conversation, hidden in their glances. 

"Can't wait to be the big spoon again."

“Can’t wait for the ridiculous libido of the second trimester.”

“We sure have different priorities.” He acted surprised, knowing he also will be enjoying that part. 

“They’re not mutually exclusive,” Dani responded cheerily.

At that Malcolm could only chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I needed help with description of stretch marks, as I have none. I would ask my friend to touch hers but she's on the other end of Europe. So insead the loveliest paper spouse I could ask for, [Ryan](https://bibright.tumblr.com/) helped me and provided this piece, that I shamelessly used here: "Like little divots in the skin. Slightly bumpy when you run your hands over them, but not terribly deep. Just a gently bumpy texture. - a bitch covered in these things" Thank you.  
> About their son - I decided they would name him Callum, because name Malcom means "devotee of Saint Columba" and Callum "commemorates the Latin name Columba". Dani would chose this name, because she saw Malcolm is very devoted father. Does it make sesne? Hope so...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, important things that couldn't be organically part of this but are kind nice to know what I established for the plot: They have a second kid here, a daughter. And I believe their daughter would be Jacqueline (because it fits! Both Danielle and Jessica are names driven from Old Testament, and so is Jacqueline). However I wanted JJ because the scene of Dani and Malcolm's conversation is inspired by one of my fav episodes of Criminal Minds - when JJ comes back after a case and her husband spends whole night with her in the kitchen just talking about that. And I adore JJ, and her husband and their relationship, how seemlessly it was written into 15 years of a storyline. It only seemed fair to commemorate that JJ with my own JJ. Jacqueline Jessica was an obvious choice from there. Parents started calling her JJ to kinda sorta use both of her names to stand by the point both women she was named after are equally important.
> 
> I am a dirty, dirty liar. I was telling I'll write my thesis first and then I this thing kinda wanted to be finished. My life has been dragged through hell of human rights/democracy crisis (highly recommend checking out [@cielesne](https://www.instagram.com/cielesne_/) on instagram, girls are Toronto based polish activists who spread in eng news what is going on in Polad but recently lost their account due to cyber attact) and when I'm stressed porn happens! 🍋
> 
> I feel like this shit is getting worse and worse with each update. Like, the lack of progress in my writing abilities is infuriating. So the fact this fic of mine, since last chapter was posted, became the one with the biggest amount of hits is extremely surprising. Y'all just horny for brightwell and I get it, me too! But please, go read some proper smut, some good, well-written stuff!

It wasn’t the slightly too hot breeze coming from silently humming air conditioning in their bedroom, after their daughter played with the remote when she came for snuggles before her bedtime, nor it was the mild stench of a little tail of smoke coming from wick of completely burned down, that woke Dani up. It was the body that was laying next to her in bed. Malcolm’s hitched breaths and hasty moves slowly drew Dani back into consciousness. With eyes still half glued with her dreams and face tinted with confusion she rose on the elbows, looking down through the darkness at her husband struggling in his sleep.

Initial disorientation of Dani had its source in the fact that Malcolm hasn't had terrors in a very long time. She kinda forgot how terrifying it is to see him like this, controlled by his deepest fears manifesting themselves only when he’s not awake. Sure, there were the restraints nailed to the wall under their king sized bed, but they usually remained there for the night. If Malcolm had the nagging feeling, after a particularly bad day, that upcoming night might be troublesome he would sleep in the guest room, as a precaution to not disturb Dani, or not sleep at all.

After Bright established his family life he easily gave up at least partially a toxic relationship with his father, to focus on raising their kids and now was going to see him only when it was absolutely necessary for the case. Malcolm was never fine after those visits, it looked as if Dr Whitly was bringing all the mental hell upon his son thousandfold stronger than when Malcolm was visiting regularly - like a form of some sick recompense for all time they haven’t seen each other. Sometimes someone from the team went with Bright, or even instead of him. Martin was very fond of the company of his daughter in law...

Yesterday Malcolm met with Martin for the first time in a few months, then came back to the precinct and acted as everything’s fine. It of course was a lie and Dani quickly noticed his shaking hand not leaving the pocket, trying to hide the tremor. But then he had his therapy session and came back home in a state Dani actually believed was okey.

Usually Bright knew his limits although maybe today he felt extremely confident about the night, or he just didn’t want to admit to Dani how devastating the visit at Claremont actually was. Tonight Malcolm stayed with her and now she could clearly see how the seeds of fears and doubts his father planted were now slowly blooming in Malcolm’s mind into a terrifying garden of nightmares and traumas.

“Malcolm…” Dani rose up to half sitting position and tried to drag him out of the dream with her sleepy voice but it didn’t work. His agitated with terrors body started to be thrown around the bed with muscle spasms, tangling himself into bed sheets. “Malcolm.” Dani found herself slightly more awake calling his name again, this time a bit more harshly. She shifted onto her knees, and when fists started flying around him Dani leaned over to try and restrain his movements. “Malcolm!”

His wrists were locked in a tight grip of her fingers as Dani was doing her best to keep him down. But achingly tensed muscles of his arms, hard as concrete, just started moving with Dani attached to him. Malcolm Bright always had more strength than he let people see, but she knew that. She was ready for a little sparring since the first day when she announced she’ll be sleeping with him in one bed, back when they were dating and Malcolm offered her a guest room upstairs in his loft. She wasn’t scared of a little fight with him, she knew how to throw or take a punch.

Desperate callings of his name weren’t reflecting Dani’s actual inner calmness, there was nothing unsettling for her about occurring situation. She was familiar with Malcolm being torn by his terrors; she knew how to deal with that. If catching him and hugging it out won’t help she will punch him. But what Dani was really stressed about, what was overcasting her brain with thick fog was his mental well-being and the events that put him in a mindspace that led to him fighting his subconscious after so many months of peace. Presence of Martin Whitly in their lives was the real stressor.

Malcolm didn’t seem to be pulled for even an inch away from his sleep. Seeing that her current technique was a failure Dani changed the tactics. She hastily crawled on top of him, invoking Malcolm’s name in a loop and while she was straddling his abdomen his arms flew free from her desperate grasp, aiming at Dani’s humble silhouette. She received a punch to her chest that pushed all the air out from her lungs. For a moment Dani couldn’t breath but when a painful inhale was introduced into her sore chest she continued. “Malcolm!” She screamed more irritated than scared. “Wake up, for fuck’s sake!”

His eyes shot open, now almost completely swallowed by the bottomless abyss of his pupils. He shot upwards, snatching himself from the last mists of the nightmare, making Dani fall back. They both were panting and all covered in sweat. His confused round eyes quickly focused on Dani that slided down to now sitting on his lap, rubbing her chest in the place where she was hit. But before they could speak to each other and share reassuring nothings as they were falling back asleep they heard a quiet gasp from their doorstep. Their gazes conjured with that flew to the spot of the sound in the ajar door. No words managed to be said as their son ran away when his parents caught just a glimpse of a very confused and probably mildly scared little boy.

As if held under the spell they looked at each other, locking eyes together in a secondhand fear the kid had to be overflowed with at the scene he just witnessed, with his father tossing around and frantically throwing his arms around and his mother screaming and eventually getting hit. Malcolm replayed that scene in his head and something sour spilled in his soul, making him nauseous. He grabbed Dani by her hips, ready to move her next to him and go check up on Callum, but before he had a chance Dani with a loud sigh was already up slipping from between his fingers curled around her waist.

“It’s probably better if I go.” At first he got angry that Dani denied him to go to his son. He felt the splinters daggering his heart with her soft voice. “You go check up if we didn’t wake JJ up.” But and as much as it was painful, Dani was correct in her assumption that seven years old Callum was currently scared of his dad.  _ Which is good _ , Malcolm thought to himself,  _ I was never scared of my dad and where it got me.. _ . Their boy just saw how his father hit his mom. It wasn’t important that he was asleep- he’s just a kid, he shouldn’t have seen this.

Sitting in his sweat for a few minutes and utilizing his favourite breathing techniques, Malcolm overcame his growing anxiety and finally calmed down. Memory of the nightmare almost completely washed away to leave a space in his mind for this terribly bitter thought about his son being exposed to his violence. In an upcoming hot tide of rage he got up and turned down the heat, leaving the bedroom. Through the dark corridor he headed to the room of their two years old daughter.

Malcolm cracked open the door and stepped into the blue light of the night lamp. Room was quiet and he didn’t dare to step further inside. So he stayed on the doorstep, watching the little creature as she was peacefully breathing in and out, her arm wrapped incredibly tight around her plushie octopus of her size. She held it upside down and the tentacles were tangled in her blonde curls. She looked like a spitting image of Dani but painted in colors of her auntie Ainsley. Dani’s black eyes and blond hair of her mother made its way down to little JJ, color matching her with Malcolm’s sister. Maybe she got her name after Malcolm’s mom but the looks from Dani’s.

Enchanted by the calmness Malcolm started breathing in and out in the tempo set by his daughter. The splinters in his heart melted a bit at the scene in front, soothing his nerves. If a beasty like her could safely sleep in his presence he couldn’t be that bad of a man. The charm broke when she turned on her other side and discouraged by that Malcolm sneaked out, not wanting to trouble the little one. She wasn’t bothered by his night terrors so there was no need to wake her up by just impolitely staring at her in her sleep.

Alone in the hallway Malcolm followed unintelligible chatter coming from the room of their son. Voices of Dani and Callum were mixing together, he couldn’t distinguish any words but he had his wild guess what they’re talking about. Malcolm approached the closed door and without a shame started listening to the ongoing conversation.

“I am absolutely alright!” Dani laughed softly and boy’s giggle joined. He saw in his head how she smooches the forehead of Callum. She continued in a more serious but equally calm tone. “Nothing to be worried about. It was just a terrible nightmare that your dad was having.” A pause during which Malcolm knew Dani was following Cal’s thoughts, so obviously rushing through his crystal blue eyes. She had to deem he was fine to be left alone. “And now I really should check up on him. You’ll be alright?”

“Yes!” Malcolm huffed a laugh at that, it was so cheery. Receiving this reassurance Dani stood up from the floor where she was sitting down and hearing her footsteps getting closer Malcolm stepped back from the door. Before leaving she turned around with hand already on the knob and wished her son goodnight.

“Sweet dreams, my love.”

“Bye, mama.”

Malcolm jerked away from the door which his ear was almost glued to. Moment he took that step the door cracked open, spilling the constellations projected by Callum’s night lamp onto every square inch the light could touch. Bathed in the dozen tiny stars Dani entered the black space where he was, hidden in the shadows of his shame. She cautiously closed the door behind her, keeping eye contact with their son as long as she could. When the light was cut off with the door closed Dani turned around to head back to their bedroom. But before her first step she jumped spooked.

Her little scare was quickly soothed by the realisation it’s just extremely stressed Malcolm and not some foreign silhouette. She should’ve been expecting him spying on them, but it still caught her by surprise. Dani got closer and wrapped her palms around his forearm. “How’s little one?"

Malcolm smiled to the fresh memory of his girl in her bed, squeezing the life out from her octopus. “Soundly asleep.”

Seeing his face steeped with the little joy that their daughter was Dani trusted him enough to take her eyes off of his face and stepped even closer, wrapping her arms around his from the side, snuggling under his massive shoulders. "Tea?"

"You should go back to sleep…" Malcolm looked down at her, rubbing a circle on the exposed skin of the small of her back.

"I am not leaving you on the mercy of your own mind.” She digged her chin into his peck looking up, and continued with teeth barely parting when the words came. “Nothing good comes out of this."

He smiled weakly, embracing her tighter and kissing the top of her head covered with a dozen tiny braids, because once again - she was right. Dani delicately untangled herself and dragged him to the kitchen. She was holding his hand all the way there, scared he might run away and try to get into a more pathetic mood than he was already damned with after the unfortunate event of Callum walking in on him having a night terror.

They both were extremely quiet, making extra effort to not create any kind of fuss that might interrupt night’s peace even further. Dani led them through the greyness of their house, downstairs to the kitchen where she turned on the small lights under the cabinets with a quiet flick of the switch. Whole kitchen filled with the blueish glimmer of the halflight. Only then she let go of Malcolm’s hand and went on to set the kettle.

Malcolm found his place at the kitchen island and was following her every movement, drinking in the picture of his wife. Her night attire changed since they first got together, although only recently Dani switched from usually his shirts with only panties under if she felt like it, but usually going full commando, to a whole collection of silks and satins and laces. The transition happened after she gave birth for the second time. Now she was wearing a bralette top sewn from white lace through which her skin was peaking, causing a monochrome stained glass like image and black satin shorts long enough to barely cover her ass. Dani was never a big fan of much of a clothing on if she didn't have to.

She was extremely focused on the process of making them tea so she didn’t notice Malcolm’s soft gaze slipping across her greasy with body lotion skin. He loved those moments when she didn’t know she was observed and he could just admire her in her simplicity. His wife, his lover, his partner in crime...

Due to his absolute focus on Dani’s naked thighs and long dip of the spine in the middle of her back, Malcolm missed when the tea was done. Dani walked over the island to join him and set two mugs down on the counter. She slipped into the seat next to him and wrapped her arms around him, as he was reaching for his mug. It was camomile, Malcolm smiled at the realisation. Dani was strictly following the rule of no caffeine after five.

He fixed his stare in the golden liquid with a green tint, in the mug so hot that was burning his palm. He could feel Dani’s eyes following every curve of his face, analyzing every wrinkle. It was her turn to stare at him. She raised one of her hands and started slowly combing with her fingers through his grey hair at the temple. When her nails scratched his scalp he resealed a breath, realising he wasn’t breathing for a while. His heart rate rose and blood rushed through his parts, to restore the deficiency of oxygen. He knew that pounding heart was really just a shortcut to a panic attack but it’s not what was happening. Instead his body was calming down.

"Wanna talk about this?" Dani didn't have to address the thing clearer. She knew all the places his mind was going to, and hated them dearly.

Malcolm shook his head. "No.” His tired voice was so raw Dani felt all those things he was tired of. The shame of being Surgeon’s son, the fear of following the path of a serial killer, the scare of being a bad parent, the fright of letting them all down as a family man. She was left speechless and just leaned to kiss his shoulder as his hand raised the mug to his lips and Malcolm started sipping on the herbal tea.

Dani let her mug to cool down as she was constantly caressing various spots on his body. From his temples she moved with her knuckles down his cheeks, through his arms and eventually she let go of him to again take a full look. Now his muscles were relaxed under his shirt, shoulders lowered, veins disappeared from the sides of his neck and his forehead, his brows unknotted and jaw stopped clenching. Just by sitting with him, he was getting calmer and her presence was sustaining that.

She reached for her cold tea, but didn’t bother to drink it, just moved the mug for the sake of doing anything with it. She sat back and continued the observation. Only after they got married Dani understood his speech for the proposal. She saw that calmness he was talking about then, and when they exchanged vows in the eyes of law only then he took her for granted. Because he respected law and felt comforted when she promised him to keep him calm until death did them part.

Malcolm’s mug was empty and now he lacked things he could occupy himself with. He turned on the chair and faced Dani. He had a chance to consume the image of her back but now having her face in front of him, he was even more hypnotized by her body. His stare was slipping down her body parts, from the round face with permanent dark bags laying under her eyes and slowly deepening wrinkles, through her chest full of stretch marks and discolorations ending on the bit of skin hidden in the shadow her short pants were casting. 

Dani saw how he was devouring her, she felt the little twist of excitement in her belly and was instantly grateful for having an empty bladder. She leaned towards, supporting herself on his thighs and kissed him. She wanted to offer him a sweet kiss, a tenderness but as she intended to pull back he attacked her lips again, pushing his tongue between her teeth and clasping her face between his warm palms.

It pushed all the air out of her lungs and she gasped, sliding her hands further up on his thighs until her fingertips fell into the crevice between his hips and groins. Dani broke off the kiss when she felt a dizziness taking over her. “Let’s go back to bed.” Her low voice slowly spilling between the little distance between their faces was a promise that woke up something animalistic in him.

Dani got up and headed upstairs, and Malcolm quickly chased after her, switching all the light off. She was keeping him under the spell of her hip swaying in the pitch-black of the night. In the overtaking darkness which their eyes weren’t used to after some time spent in the sharp glow of little kitchen lights, their steps were cautious, their pace slow to not stumble into a wall or trip on their feet. She was leading, a few steps in front of him, the shiny material of her pants the only thing that he could follow as it was reflecting sparks of wild light lost in the house in the middle of the night.

When she reached the bedroom Malcolm used those extra few seconds where Dani was opening the door and got to her, wrapping his arms around her middle and started sucking on her neck. They stepped inside in a wobbly walk, Malcolm pushing her inside. As the door closed behind them he loosen the grip and his palms started wandering on the exposed skin of her belly, arms and thighs. Every now and then he scratched and digged into her skin, causing wave of quivers and trail of goosebumps. Dani was feeling his beard scratching her neck and shoulders when he was biting into her skin as if he was hungry and only her body could feed him.

She could do that, she could offer him herself. And truthfully, there wasn’t anything else she could do for him in this situation. He was driven by anger and disgust with himself. He was using her, her body, as an outlet to all this pent up fear inside him; now too busy to remember the dreads his children are going to endure, and he already had.

His hands continued to roam and she shivered when his fingertip caressed the middle of her abdomen up through the sternum between her breasts and ended on the shallow of her neck, where he could feel her horrendous heart rate. But he didn’t stop there. His hand slided higher and delicately closed around her throat. She could feel his flesh against the shaky breath she took and relaxed. Dani knew he wouldn’t do anything to her, it wasn’t her cup of tea, he just wanted to feel out the trust, feel that he's worthy of it. He planted a tender kiss under her ear as a sign of gratitude when she didn’t back out.

“How do you want to make love?” Dani reached with one hand behind her to rub the side of his neck while the other one stayed on his high between her legs. “Tenderly or violently?”

"I wanna take you rough." Malcolm whispered confidently into her ear, contributing to the goosebumps on her skin from cool air. The hand from around her throat sneaked into her braids, now tamed for the night into a topknot, and gripped the side of her head, jerking to the side, revealing for himself even more of her neck. His lips sucked on the thin skin there, before he sunk his teeth into the flesh. There was gonna be a mark. Dani whimpered weakly, squirming inside with anticipation at what he was going to do to her.

“I want you in restraints,” he added more quiet. For Malcolm it took a lot to demand control, he was usually the one who was eager to let go of any responsibility and give in to her fully. Bright really had to be on edge.

“Hmmm?” Dani murmured through the smile, with each passing second more and more aware of Malcolm’s hot palm against her inner thigh, so steady while it could be doing such wonders instead.

“Have you tied down.”

“Good.” Dani had to learn how to submit, always so scared to be taken advantage of. But with him it was easy to build that trust… She turned around and their gazes locked. Everything was grey in the night, including his eyes pierced with the pain he was deafening with bodily pleasures. She reached to his face with a worry, only to get his usual comeback to almost everything she did.

“I love you.” His tenderness surfaced.

Dani smiled cockily. “As you should.”

Malcolm giggled and snapped right back into the sharp lust that was slowly flourishing in them. “I want to fuck you with a gag between your teeth, choking on the moans.” He pushed Dani backwards, making their way to the bed.

The image of a ball between her teeth was enough to make her crave the sensation of being muted. As much as she would like that, she couldn’t agree. Dani wasn’t ready to give up the communication, he could too easily slip into midless fucking consumed by frights. She threw her arms around his neck and rose on her tiptoes, grazing the tip of her nose against his. “Sounds lovely, but not tonight.” 

“Then I'll have to ask you to be very quiet.” Emphasising his demand, Malcolm himself whispered.

“How quiet?”

"Not a whimper," his voice was barely a stream of air Dancing in her ear. Malcolm pinched her nipple already hard at the chill air that was filling the room. She flinched but bit her tongue and stayed quiet. "That's a good girl." He praised her and disappeared into the closet to get a proper pair of restrains for her. Dani crawled into the bed.

When Malcolm came back he threw the set of padded leather cuffs on the bed next to Dani and crawled onto her, kissing her with passion. His hands slowly made their way up through the waistline and ribs, until they slipped under the lace and left Dani’s chest naked. She laid down, pushed by Malcolm’s kisses full of starvation. Dani knew her time with free hands is limited so using that she reciprocated and took off Malcolm's shirt. His bare chest was pressing into her as he went lower, kissing the column of her throat and straight to her breasts. She wanted to tangle her fingers into his hair but before she could Malcolm locked her wrists in his tight grip above her head.

He was biting into the soft flesh of her breasts, a bit more painful than usually, with stress clenching his jaw tight. When he was moving his lips to another spot she could still feel the shape of his teeth in the previous one. Tomorrow morning she probably will wake up with several deep purple bite marks across her chest. She wanted to whine and whimper at the sting but his instructions were clear and she was to be silent. Dani even managed to not make a sound when his mouth closed around her nipples, and he sunk his incisors into the tissue scared from breastfeeding. She just wiggled in his grip, craving more fraction between them.

Wide smile spread across Malcolm’s face at Dani’s arching her back to grind herself against him and he repeated his action, biting even harder. Then for a moment Dani was set free as Malcolm reached for the cuffs on the other side of the bed. She stayed down and when he came back she obediently presented to him her wrists. He was delicate in putting them on, lookin at her face the whole time. He got a bit rougher when he raised Dani’s arms above her head in order to buckle the chain to each cuff and then around the beam of the bed frame.

Her body reacted to a foreight object and not Malcolm’s hand restraining her hands. Her breath became shaky and heart was pounding loud in her ears. Malcolm sat back and with thumbs hooked under the elastic band of her pants he slid them down, then he threw her legs on his shoulders. Malcolm lowered himself down until his lips could meet the place of her slowly burning desire. With her thighs placed on his shoulders Malcolm slowly kissed Dani there. He sucked lightly and teasingly, prolonging for as long as he felt she could take it, causing Dani to clench her teeth to not let a sound out.

From under his lashes he saw Dani’s stomach swaying with swallowed moans and abandoned his actions, moving back to her breasts, following with the tip of his tongue patterns of long healed scars of stretch marks. He tracked with his fingertips the curvature of her breasts and up to the elbows, making Dani smile a little at the ticklish sensation. He left her for a moment to get rid of his pants and came back, pressing his naked body against hers.

She spread her legs invitingly, but Malcolm didn’t push right into her. He teased her with the tip of his cock against her sleekness. A wicked smile curved his lips, as he was watching Dani’s face tormented with the mission of being quiet. He knew she was very close to just starting to beg him for his cock and as amusing as the idea was, Malcolm didn’t want that. So he stopped and guided himself inside here.

Dani whimpered quietly in discomfort. Malcolm recognised the sound immediately and froze waiting for her reaction. “Go on.” She said looking deep into his eyes, making sure he got it, he got she’s not pretending and she’s fine. Malcolm lowered himself and kissed her, less hungrily than before but with equal passion. When their lips separated Malcolm picked up slow pace with his hips, and grabbed her ribcage, his fingers curling under her shoulder blades. His lips came back to her chest.

Soon after their breaths became louder and sharper, and orgasms were slowly building up, notifying about upcoming release. Not stopping, Malcolm rose up to change the position and again threw her legs on his shoulders pushing deeper inside her. Dani squirmed at the sensation, feelings Malcolm's firm grip around her waist keeping her in place, his thumbs digging right under her ribs. She was overloaded with sensations of pleasure. And she could do nothing to start searching with her own release with hands above her head, cuffed to the bed. He was right, the frustration in this situation was stimulating, anticipation of what he'll do - thrilling. She was pinned down by him, letting him have his way with her.

Her chest ached from hitched breaths that should've been moans that Malcom forbade. He bent over, hair chaotically framing his face. It was bringing her pleasure to see him in a frenzy. When his face got incredibly close to hers she heard him saying, "Stay quiet, princess." He needed this, to tell her what to do - a phantom of control. Few moments passed before she heard him again. "You like it when I fuck you?"

Dirty talk was more of Dani's thing. She was saying obscenities to him, but since he forbade her to make a sound tonight she was quiet. It was a bit of a shock, Malcolm asking her that, but it was also an obvious invitation, taking down the curse of silence for tonight. She accepted it gladly. "Yeah, yes," Dani needed a second to shift into another mindspace. "I love it.” Her head shot upwards, catching his lips into a kiss. “When you fuck me, when you lick me, when you bite me." A first moan this night escaped her mouth but she didn’t feel guilty. "Yes, fuck me like that. I want to feel your cock deep inside me." She saw he was on the verge of his orgasm. "Come on, babe, fill me up."

Long time ago Malcolm told her she's extremely eloquent in her dirty talk, and Dani found some sort of pride in that. The encouragement was enough. Malcolm first started groaning hoarsely, hitting deeper inside her and then his whole body was shaking. After he came down from the heights of his orgasm Malcolm leaned forward to connect their lips in a slow kiss. "You were right, gag was stupid."

Dani giggled, and unlocked her ankles from behind his head, relaxing her legs with Malcolm laying between them. "Be a gentleman and finish me off."

Malcolm smiled and asked with his lips still pressed against hers. "How do you want it, ma'am?"

"I want to come around your fingers.” She had the answer ready. “And uncuff me, please. I want to hold you." He obliged and unbuckled the little chain from behind the beam.

For her pleasure he became gentler, and leaned to kiss her - swallowing her moans, feeding off of her satisfaction. It was exactly how she wanted it - Malcolm’s two fingers inside her, hitting just the right spot and his thumb working against her clit. But when spasms took over her body he didn’t stop. “ _ Bright-- _ ” Dani cried out when she realised he wasn’t going to stop. He was staring at her as the second orgasm rolled through her system.

Watching her coming down he peppered her jaw with kisses, until he reached her ear. “Consider this as an apology.”

“For what?” She laughed at him, cupping his scruffy cheek with her hand, still with cuffs around the wrists. The comeback didn’t come. "Wanna talk about this now?" Silence answered her. “You know you eventually will have to.”

Malcolm moved to lie down beside Dani, and fixed his stare at her body, now fully covered in a goosebump. He probably turned the heat a bit too down earlier. A moment of silence was excruciating and he could stall only for so long. “I want to be honest with our children but I also don’t want them to see how broken I am.” Dani saw in the dark how Malcolm chewed on his lip with an empty gaze fixed somewhere on her abdomen. “I want to explain to Callum what he saw. And for that I will have to bring my father up in the conversation.” His eyes flickered up to find hers, patiently waiting for him to come to her. “How do I explain to our son he’s related to one of the worst people walking this earth?”

“Don’t you think you got a little too caught up in this?” Dani turned to her side to face him. “First of all, kids will have a little problem with processing that Gil  _ isn’t  _ actually their grandpa but that’s about as far as they’ll be concerned. Maybe ask Gabrielle how to bring this up? She’s still a child therapist, no matter how rudely you’ll be avoiding admitting to yourself she really shouldn’t be treating you.”

“So you think we should tell them about Doctor Whitly?”

“Don’t make it about him, Malcolm. Make it about your kids. He’s the last thing we should be concerned about. Honesty with Cal, and a lot of explanation, that’s what it’s about. He’s scared and he needs his dad to walk him through the worst parts of this world.”

Malcolm needed a moment to process her tenderness. “You make this sound like it’s not the end of the word. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, darling.” Dani, acquired with a new energy, suddenly got up. “Now excuse me. I need to take a shower to wash all of those dirty thoughts I have about you…” She leaned over, supporting herself on the bed, and kissed him. “Because there’s no way in hell I’m going to get up earlier, so I’d better do it now.” And she left him.

“Want some company?”

“Sure.” She beckoned him with her arm raised above her head, waltzing to the bathroom. “You’re always invited, pretty boy…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that like maybe two people made it this far and I might be one of them. But only because I think it's a crap doesn't mean Imma stop this shitshow. No, I actually already have another chapter planned out🤡


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **TRIGGER WARNINING abortion (mentioning of medical abortion)**
> 
> This one I actually wrote instead of participating in my classes and sleeping 🤡 So, there was some work done to thesis!  
> I needed to write it for my soul. I need a nice content with abortion being what it is - a healthcare, human right, and a personal choice of pregnant person. I live in a reality where in practice people with uteruses don't have the access to it _at all_. So where would someone like me go to cope? TO FANFICS! HA! To smuts, to be more specific 🍋  
> PS I feel like it's the first time when you can actually see that I write smuts not for the sex but for the everything it comes with, like trust and vulnerability and sometimes pregnancy. But consent to sex is not a conset to pregnancy.

Dani’s favourite part of days off at home with her family was the fact that they were _slow_. There wasn’t any kind schedule, and the only agenda was to spend the time together and cherish it. Danielle Bright née Powell hated to be in rush. In contrary to popular belief her professional life wasn’t full of it. Being a detective demanded from her to be fast but not reckless. Rush was actually a very bad adviser during the cases. They always demanded meticulous work since the devil is in the details and there’s no room for errors made in a haste. Of course, eventually Dani had to accept its presence in her life, but only after becoming a mother of two. She still was impressed how in the chaos of their household Malcolm managed to keep track of his meds while she regularly was taking her pill hours later than planned.

Dani was leisurely devouring the slowness that was promised her today, as the streaks of sunlight were seeping through the blinds, stripes of shadow ascending through the space. The heat of sun rays was pleasantly burning her skin on exposed arms on top of the covers. Dani felt like she had all the time in the world to slowly bring her mind back into this body, now so comfortably laying in their enormous bed. The consciousness was spreading through her system with confidence, because for the first time in five days there was no threat of an alarm clock hanging there.

The warmth from inside of her was additionally fueled with the outside source, keeping Dani in sweet abeyance. She groaned with content and stretched like a cat, wanting to become a slightly more aware of the blissfulness of the morning, to properly appreciate it and catalogue in her mind. She started slowly turning on her back, but ended rolling into Malcolm halfway through the motion, discovering he was closer than she anticipated. She reacted with a laugh that only prolonged when Malcolm threw his arm across her middle and pressed her back firmly against his front.

"Hey," she lazily dragged out the vowel. Her quiet voice was still hoarse with the nightly repose.

"Hi," Malcolm answered with an equally throaty tone rolling from between his lips, now plastered to the skin of her shoulder blade. Then Dani felt him planting a small wet little kiss on her spine and he caressed her skin with the tip of his nose, snuggling her even closer to him.

Minutes passed with them frozen in the heat of peace and quiet. The hour was early and both of them just wanted to cherish the simplicity of the moment of their bodies tightly pressed against each other. Dani could feel the lashes sitting atop his closed lids against her back; his deep humid breaths were dancing down the valley of her spine. Malcolm was feeling her free curl tickling his neck, her arms in front of her angled in the same curve as his as his arm was raising up and down with her ribcage with each breath she took.

Dani felt overtaking slumber but she wasn’t sure if she should let it take her for another nap. She decided to consult it with Malcolm. "Shouldn’t we wake up?"

"I am awake."

She wasn’t fully convinced by his raspy voice but chuckled at the confidence he presented with that statement. " _Up_." Dani emphasised to clarify which part of her question was actually important.

A bit longer moment of silence followed before Malcolm gave her his response. "I can get it up." This time his voice was clearer and lower, rumbling through her bones and raising tiny hairs on her arms.

"Of course you do..." The air vibrated with her laugh, she was finding him very amusing this morning.

Malcolm rose a bit, now spooning Dani with his whole length, their heads aligned on one lever. She felt his hips pressing a bit harder into her ass, with his arm gripping her tighter. His mouth nibbled at her earlobe. Dani bit on her lip, sucking on it as a long inhale expanded her chest. Then her back arched, rubbing against Malcolm’s cock, testing out his theory that he can get it up.

She sneaked her hand under his arm and placed it behind her on his hip. Cold palm started slowly following the shape of his bone and muscles, caressing the soft cotton of his pants. His lips continued to nip her ear and neck in slow intervals. When she found the hem of his shirt her hand went underneath and then not breaking the contact between their skins down under the elastic band. Pads of her fingers were slowly following some chaotic pattern through the hairs on his thigh.

Malcolm, wanting to retaliate, moved his hand across the sheet closer to her and then under the silk top. His flat palm was moving up in a tempo equally slow as Dani’s fingers were burning the trail on his leg. The route ended with Malcolm’s hand grabbing Dani’s breast at what she moved her palm lower, between his thighs with the thumb caressing the crook of the groin. He was getting harder against her spine.

The other hand of Dani’s moved from supporting herself, holding onto the sheets in front of her to Malcolm’s elbow of a hand now hidden under her top, as he went from kneading her flesh to locking her nipple between two fingers, pinching it in a pulsating rhythm. She arched her back, partially at the sensation and partially to return the favor, grazing against his crotch. It earned her a gasp that twirled right inside her ear, sending shivers down her spine.

“You’re a damn teaser, Dani…”

“Don’t pretend you don’t like it.” Her palm wrapped around his dick and fingers started delicately circling the tip, gliding on the precum.

“Oh no, I love it. But I love your tight wet cunt even more.”

“Then what are you waiting for, Malcolm? An invitation to fuck me good?”

His laugh ended with teeth in her skin. He pinched her nipple as a goodbye before it went lower to take off her shorts. Having the garment around her knees Dani kicked it off under the duvet. Malcolm held her tighter to not let Dani wiggle away from him. With her bottom naked he did the same, with a help of Dani’s legs tangling into the cotton.

“At this point it would be a shame to not have us both completely naked,” Dani shared her observation, craving the contact. In half lying position she fought off enough space from Malcolm’s limbs to take her top off. He was observing her doings and when the piece of clothing ended up far on the duvet near their legs, Malcolm rose to capture her face between his hands. Dani twisted her torso and she let him kiss her. His mouth was slowly moving against hers, his lips were widely opening each time he pushed into her, with their tongues clashing against each other.

Dani broke off the kiss with a smile. “I wasn’t joking, take off your clothes.” Malcolm reflected her cheer with a grin curving out his lips as he dragged his shirt above his head and threw it behind him.

With lack of barrier between their bodies Malcolm’s arm sneaked back to hold Dani across her abdomen. She gasped with a thrill as the length his arm pressed firmly into her belly, feeling his skin of hers. Malcolm’s hand was wandering around her chest, eventually molding her breast into his palm. She writhed at the endearment, her legs slipped apart when she twisted in his grip to move herself more onto her back.

Malcolm sneaked his leg between hers, grazing with his skin the soft spots on the insides of her thighs. Dani sighed at his erection slither against her wetness, her lids got heavy. He let go of her torso and moved his arm to hook it under her leg, and dragged it to her chest, making room for himself between her legs. With his elbow under her knee he grabbed Dani’s ribcage to block the grip. His thumb followed the curvature of her breast and the rest of the fingers were ticking thin skin under her arm.

Now facing him in a strange angle, Dani wrapped her arm around the back of his head, and the other hand cupped his scruffy jaw. She looked into his eyes and dragged him closer, to kiss him. She was to ask for his lips again with hers pressing into him, but as she was opening her mouth Malcolm guided himself inside her. Surprise made her choke on the inhale and she smiled. His forehead rested on hers, sides of their noses touching and he started moving inside her. Dani felt the rhythmic movements of his pervis when he was hitting her body with his muscles.

The pace was just enough to slowly make them feel the heat to bloom from all the points of their contacts towards every other spot within them. It wasn’t making them breathe frantically, gasping for oxygen. Instead their breaths were an organic part of the placid morning, warmth of their exhales in a symbiosis with streaks of sunlight. Dani was feeling the numbness growing between her legs as the blood was filling her tissues with flourishing arousal. Soon her muscles started contracting, and Dani gasped at the upcoming release that her body was promising her.

When Malcolm felt her tightening around him a shiver traveled down his spine pushing him further to his finish. His moves got irregular and change of tempo caused Dani to tense all her muscles and a soft wave of quiet moans got out through her tightened throat.

“You’re close?” Dani whispered breathy and he swallowed her words in a kiss.

“Yes.”

“Wait for me.” Her palm left his cheek and went lower to find her clit. At her first touch she shivered and Malcolm lowered his face closer to hers, closing his mouth around hers. With another source of stimulation Dani felt like she’s close to soon reach him in their chase after pleasure.

Fingers of the hand twisted around his head sneaked into his hair and she moved it an inch away from her face. They were looking into each other’s sleepy eyes, covered partially with lids still heavy from the night and partially with titillation. His tensed face became an indicator for Dani where he was in his pleasure and how far to the ultimate release. She was looking into his eyes, green like a wild lake, with blue sparkles reflecting the shimmers from the room. Moments when he bit into his lower lip Dani fastened her own pace, seeing he was holding back. A collection of sensations made them both frustratingly close.

Malcolm dived down to kiss her, his lips landed in the corner of her lips now separated for an exit for the exhales vibrating with soft moans. The pull on his hair from her still tangled there fingers disappeared when Dani let go of him and with forearm pressed against his head, pushing it lower into the crook of her neck. His grip on her ribcage tightened and Malcolm pushed inside her, seizing his orgasm.

His hoarse moans rolled into Dani’s ear and she followed the path of pleasure with her wrist circling her throbbing clit. Malcolm continued his slow movements, not loosing the grip of a tempo, prolonging the waves of pleasure, with his body shaking in unison with the body of his lover pressed against him .

Slowly calming down they fully stopped their moves and relaxed in the mutual grip. Malcolm set free Dani’s leg that was so far tightly pressed into her chest. She untangled her arm from around his head and wiggled to lay flat on her back with arms stretched above her head, skin of her chest peeking from under the covers. She looked up at Malcolm hovering from his pillows. Ha had his eyes closed, breathing deeply.

Her face was relaxed in a blissful glee. The heart rate was slowly coming back down, pounding loudly in her head while Dani forced herself to breathe normally thus not providing all the oxygen her bloodstream was demanding. “I miss mornings like this.”

“Hmm?” His confused murmur through still disturbed breathing rolled to her.

“When I’m woken up by you, our lust, rather than by kids demanding breakfast.” Malcolm opened his eyes and looked at her with understanding, but she still felt the need to justify herself. “I love them, but…”

A few drops of guilt steeped into her voice that was left hanging in the silence. It pulled him back into awakeness. Malcolm opened his eyes and supported his heavy head with hand against the cheek. “I know.” Malcolm wanted to calm her down, because he really got it. He himself loved their kids but they could be handful. There was nothing wrong with her wanting to be her own priority every once in a while. “Is it a good moment to address the elephant in the room?”

Dani furrowed her brows at him, sending a confused look.

“You’re pregnant.”

She moved her hands from above her head down, to hide under bony arms crossed over her face. A frustrated groan escaped from under the layer of limbs. “Fuck.” Malcolm smiled and didn’t say anything. “How do you know?”

“I had my suspicions after some things I noticed.” His voice was colored with laughter as he spoke quietly, trying to sustain the charm of early morning just to themselves. “One day you were sitting for half an hour on your tracking app and I swear I could _see_ the numbers in your head when you were doing the math.” He huffed a laugh at the picture replayed in his head. ”Next morning you were counting your pills... And you left the test in the guest bathroom.”

Dani groaned with disappointment and laughed at her stupid ass. “So, it’s not that you’re an amazing profiler. I am just an idiot.”

“You’re just a very busy mother of two.” He leaned over to kiss her, aiming for her lips not covered with the arms and when he was reclining he whispered, “and _I am_ an amazing profiler.”

Minutes passed with him lying back in his spot with closed eyes, and with her flat on the mattress.

“I don’t want a third child, Malcolm.” Dani spoke, uncovering her face. The black pools of her eyes filled with mild panic when she chewed on the memory of her two pregnancies and how terribly she felt… She was scared Malcolm would be offended or angry or that he would try to persuade her. But he didn’t. He just opened his eyes and bathed her in a loving gaze. His head landed on Dani’s skinny shoulder and he placed a kiss there. The lack of response was killing her. “What are you thinking?”

“That I never actually thought about wanting more. The pair we have is all I need and all I _wanted_. I don’t feel like there’s even a shadow of expectation. When I started suspecting that you’re pregnant I processed it as your physiological state and not another baby on its way because I also don’t want more kids.”

The stress that accumulated in her body during the past five minutes fled, and she felt her muscles trembling in relief. She took a long inhale and exhaled it shakily. “It’s a surprisingly huge comfort...” Feeling vulnerable Dani decided to add, “I already bought the pills to cause misscarriage.”

Malcolm was familiar with the procedure of medical abortion, both from books and his life. He’d been a stupid kid, and then his sister had been a stupid kid…Luckly Jessica has been a resonable parent. But later he was a reasonable husband, when he told Dani she should consider this when she got pregnant two years after Callum and he saw her loosing the grip over her life in the span of three days before the decision was made. Yes, when they got together they both wanted two children but that wasn’t the right moment. Malcolm didn’t let her dive into her shame or accusations she thought he would have for her, after so many years of living in patriarchal society. “You want me here or should I take kids and you’ll invite a friend over?”

Her smile full of gratitude for the unquestionable support he just gave her lightened up her face. When it reached her eyes she had the answer to his questions already prepared. “You think Jess could take kids for the weekend?”

“She’ll be thrilled.” The reassurance hidden in his cheery voice sent a wave of peace through her system, washing off the last residues of anything worrying.

Using the last quiet moments of their morning Dani turned on her side and snuggled into Malcolm. Taken by surprise he just mindlessly let her find a place against his chest and only then his hand landed on her naked waist. Dani murmured into his neck the last coherent thought on the subject. “Please remember to get painkillers this time,” and Malcolm froze in terror at the memory of Dani laying in a fetal position on their bed, overtaken by pain. It was the quickest run to pharmacy in his life.

They let the calmness consume them, their bodies tired after moderate morning activities. Dani didn’t fall back asleep but felt the relaxing heat of the warm bed taking her to the realm suspended between doze and consciousness. Their breaths synchronised after coming back from their pleasures into rolling back into the slumber together. Dani used this strange state to further cherish and remember to the fullest the sensation of this pure peace where she could just enjoy company of the love of her life. Her naive sentiment met the hard ground when her phone rang, setting into vibrations the nightstand, angrily buzzing against it. 

“So there goes our family day.” Malcolm whined and laid back to release Dani from his cuddle. He groaned and covered his face with arm, hiding behind the sun, trying to prevent that rare for him state of sleepiness. There really were not many options who might ring them up at 8 am on Saturday so Bright’s money were on Gil with a new case.

Dani reached for the device and furrowed her brows, but he couldn’t see this. “Or maybe not.” Mild confusion in her voice made him look from under his forearm that was pressed against his eyes. “It’s your mother.” Bright raised his arm even higher, looking at Dani with surprise in the shadow of his muscles. “Jess, if everything’s all right?”

“Hello, my dear!” Malcolm could hear his mother’s happy voice. He moved his hand under his head and fixed his gaze on Dani’s face when the voice of his mother again floated into the space of their bedroom. “Yes, everything’s perfectly fine. I’m just calling because Gil had a fantastic idea.”

Dani made a face at Malcolm, aware he could hear, faking impressment with her lips curving into the shape of a horseshoe. “Yeah, he has them every once in a while.”

“Are my grandchildren still asleep?”

“I hope so…” Dani sat up as to look around as if to make sure, they’re not there but rather asleep, or just occupied in their rooms.

“I don’t. We want to take them for a picnic! To run away from the dirt of the city… Are you fine with that?”

Her mouth opened with a bit of a shock at the offer but she closed it quickly, making a quiet smacking sound. “I am.” She straightened her back, letting the covers slip down her torso as she started gathering the confidence to create a thought about the possibility a day without the kids was showing. Dani jerked the phone away from her face and spoke to Malcolm, knowing Jessica still could hear them. “Jessica and Gil want to take kids for the day.”

Malcolm recognised where Dani’s thoughts went. To the pills she told him about, all ready to pop; pills that they thought would have to wait until next weekend. Bright placed his palm on the apex of Dani’s naked thigh under the duvet, caressing her soothingly.

“Dani, you’re still there?” Jessica’s voice drew her back to the conversation.

“Yes.” She barked mindlessly at first. “Yes, yes…” and added two more, grounding herself back to the phone call. “Could you, uh-- on your way here bring me some painkillers?” Dani muttered, completely loosing any fumes of confidence. Quickly remembering who she’s speaking to Dani clarified. “But, Jess-- just normal painkillers. Ibuprofen, paracetamol… Not anything from your stash.”

Listening to Dani’s babbling Jessica furrowed her brows and it reflected in her voice. “Everything’s alright?”

“Everything’s fine. I just--” Dani cut, realizing she actually doesn’t want her mother in law to know, genuinely scared of judgment and ostracism.

Jessica’s voice grew with worry, softening her usually sharp tone. “You sure everything is fine? You have been married to Malcolm for so long I wouldn’t be surprised if your definicion of ‘fine’ was perverted by his influence.”

Dani laughed at that. “We wanted to ask you to take kids next weekend, there’s something we have to do. But your offer now actually helps with taking care of it now.”

“And for that you need painkillers?” Jessica wasn’t convinced about the story her daughter in law was trying to sell her.

“Well,” Dani took a breath in and placed her hand on Malcolm’s under the duvet, looking for support. “I already have the mifepristone and misoprostol.” She tried to be adult about it, but there’s something highly intimidating in Jessica Whitly.

“ _Oh_.” Jessica was very substance dependent so she instantly connected the dots when she heard the names of the abortifacients. She changed her approach, wanting to leave Dani space for the discomfort, now that Jessica learned its source. “Then we’ll be there within an hour. And I’ll have the painkillers for you. You two take care of you, and me and Gil are taking kids on us.”

Dani breathed out a sigh of relief. “You’re heaven sent.”

“Or so they say! Bye!”

When the phone call ended Dani didn’t return to her place in his arms, just sat in front of him with covers ruffled around her hips, slowly slipping down her thigh with Malcolm’s movements only enhancing its uncovering tendencies. “Change of plans, babe. I’m doing it today.” Seeing her determination and impatience to just be over with it Malcolm also rose up and leaned to her for a quick kiss, before getting out of bed. “But first we have to get children ready.” Dani sighted heavily. She loved them beyond any measure, but sometimes their presence was irritating. Truly, they were _their_ children.

“Second.” Malcolm clarified from the bathroom, his voice jammed by the sound of the running shower. She furrowed her brows at him, when his head peeked from the door. “We already had our _first_ this morning.”

Sending him heavy with amusement at that note gaze, she laughed and crawled out of bed to face the day, where she was the priority.


End file.
